Earthquake-prone buildings

In May 2016, Parliament amended the Building Act 2004 to introduce a nationally consistent approach to the assessment and management of earthquake-prone buildings, including standardised notices and a national public register.

This earthquake-prone building process came into force on 1 July 2017 and can be summarised in five steps:

1. Identification

We will identify buildings that are potentially earthquake-prone and notify owners.

Identifying earthquake-prone buildings - MBIE  (building.govt.nz)

2. Assessment

Owners of potentially earthquake-prone buildings will then provide more information about their building to us.

We will then confirm whether the building is earthquake-prone or not.

3. Notification

Owners of earthquake-prone buildings will receive confirmation from us and will be issued an earthquake-prone building notice with a deadline to strengthen or demolish.

4. Seismic work

Owners of earthquake prone buildings will have a time frame of 35 years to carry out seismic work. 

Owners of earthquake-prone buildings will then carry out seismic work to ensure that their building is no longer earthquake-prone.

Fixing an earthquake-prone building involves seismic work. This normally involves strengthening, demolishing, or partially demolishing the building.

5. Removal of the notice

The owners will notify us once seismic work has been completed and a code compliance certificate has been issued.

After the building has been strengthened to the New Building Standard (NBS) requirements, a report with the Building Consent and or Certificate Code Compliance should be provided verifying the “NBS number” after the building work has been completed.  

Once we review the work, we will re-sticker or remove the notice. We will also inform the building owner that the building is no longer considered earthquake-prone.

An earthquake-prone building notice must be displayed on the main entrance/s to a building, informing the public that it is earthquake-prone, until we officially notify the owner the notice can be removed. 

A notice also shows the deadline by when a building must be fixed. Building owner’s in the Whangārei District will have 35 years from the issue date of the notice to strengthen their building so that it is no longer earthquake-prone.

There are four types of notices, with the different borders indicating the type of earthquake-prone building.

Notices with an orange and black striped border

Notices with an orange and black striped border are for buildings with an earthquake rating of 0% to less than 20% NBS, or where no engineering assessment has been provided and the earthquake rating has not been determined.

If the building has an earthquake rating of less than 20% the risk of collapse in a moderate earthquake is approximately more than 25 times the risk of failure for buildings that are 100% NBS.

Notices with a black and white striped border

Notices with a white and black striped border are for buildings that have an earthquake rating of 20% to less than 34%. 

The risk of collapse in a moderate earthquake is approximately 10–25 times the risk of failure for buildings that are 100% NBS.

Notices with a solid red border

Notices with a solid red border are for buildings where we have restricted access due to safety concerns. If you see this notice on a building you must not approach or enter the building.

All earthquake-prone buildings in Whangārei will be listed in the national public register.

Register of earthquake-prone buildings (EPB Register) (building.govt.nz)

If a building is confirmed to be earthquake-prone we will issue an earthquake-prone building notice. The building owner must attach it in a prominent place on or next to the building.

If your earthquake-building notice is not displayed

Building owners are required to notify us if the earthquake-prone building notice is no longer displayed, or becomes illegible. 

If the notice is not displayed in a prominent place, building owners are liable to a fine of $20,000. We will carry out inspections from time to time to make sure notices are being displayed as required.

To order an extra or replacement notice, please get in touch with us.

How to display your notice

You must display your notice in a way that it can clearly be seen by people entering, approaching or passing the building. 

Display it:

• at each entrance and facing the street
• fixed to the inside of windows facing out so that they are not affected by weather 
• at eye level, or at the lower corner of a window (but at least 500mm off the ground) so that they do not obscure window displays etc.

Additional notices displayed in internal lobbies should be located on a wall visible as the door is opened, at eye level.

For exterior plaster and masonry surfaces a board may need to be installed, so that notice can be securely attached to this. Alternatively the notice could be printed onto a material such as core-flute and this could then be fixed to the building.

Example: A suburban block of shops with business or apartments on the upper floor.

• The notice should be displayed at each ground floor entrance so that it is clear that each shop is part of the overall earthquake-prone building.
• A copy of the notice should also be displayed inside the lobby which accesses the upper floor.

Example: A block of apartments which share a common access lobby.

• The notice should be displayed on the front of the building adjoining the main access.
• A copy of the notice should also be displayed inside the lobby which accesses the apartments.

Example: A block of residential flats each with a separate entrance.

• The notice should be displayed on the front of the building at the main access.
• A copy of the notice should be displayed at the entrance of each flat.