Nelson City Council issues earthquake-prone business notices for Civic House

Friday, May 13, 2022, 3:13 pm Press Release: Nelson City Council

The Board, in its role as the regional authority, has issued two Earthquake Prone Buildings (EPB) notifications that apply to the tower building roof and heavy suspended ceiling areas in various parts of the Civic House that do not meet the 34% threshold of the New Building Standard (NBS).

EPB notices have been placed in prominent locations, such as the entrances and exits around the Civic House, in accordance with the building code.

As part of the Asset and Risk Management Board’s ongoing work to assess the requirements for any renovation of the Civic House, an extensive structural assessment was completed in March 2022. This report completed shoring for the Tower Block roof (constructed of a steel frame with a rolled steel cladding) scored less than 20 % NBS. This, unfortunately, presents a very high risk to the occupants compared to a similar new building.

In response to the potential risk of premature failure and collapse of the roof structure in a seismic event, the Board has decided to relocate all staff from the upper floor of the Civic House effective today (Friday, May 13, 2022) This floor, Level VI, will remain vacant while further work is undertaken to assess each of the risks. And the possibility of a reinforcement scheme for the roof. Staff will either work from home or move to a different floor in the Civic House or a council-owned building.

Acting CEO, Alec Louverdis, stressed that this decision was intended to go beyond legislative obligations to keep staff and visitors as safe as possible.

This is a precautionary step that the Council did not take lightly. Although the sixth level can still be legally occupied, the council is not prepared to accept the level of danger identified by this report.”

Meanwhile, steps have already been taken to tackle heavy suspended ceiling tiles. Work was undertaken to secure the tiles in 2021, although there are areas in the Civic House that are assessed as still not meeting the 34% NBS limit. Since the Council has a greater understanding of how to manage these risks, there is no need to close the entire Civic House.

Short-term actions will be taken to reduce risks from the roof structure and roof tiles while plans are made for a long-term solution as part of the building renovation work.

“It is important to note that EPB notices do not mean the building has suddenly become unsafe to enter. The Board is committed to meeting seismic augmentation requirements well within the legally established time frame,” says Acting CEO Louverdis.

EPB notices require the Board to complete seismic work on damaged portions of the roof within 12.5 years (March 2035) and remediate heavy suspended ceiling tiles within 25 years (March 2047).

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