Proposed new earthquake rules: Rotorua mayor hopes Blue Baths will reopen

Rotorua has 80 listed buildings, including the Grade I listed Rotorua Museum and the Blue Baths buildings.

Rotorua Lakes Council owns both buildings in the state parks.

The museum closed in November 2016 after the Kaikoura earthquake caused damage. Seismic tests rated the building at 19% of the new building standard.

It is undergoing a $73.55 million restoration, with an estimated reopening timeframe of 2027 or 2028.

Rotorua Museum Building. Photography/Andrew Warner

The Blue Baths closed in January 2021. The building has a seismic rating of 15% of the new build standard and the council said keeping it open was too risky.

The Mission-style Spanish Bath was built in 1933 and remained unused from 1982 to 1999, before reopening as a multi-purpose event and spa venue.

It remained unused again, and nesting pigeons and mouse traps were the only signs of life when local democracy reports visited.

The government proposed scrapping the new building standards system.

Instead, buildings will be evaluated based on their physical composition and proximity to public spaces and neighboring properties.

Concrete buildings of three or more stories should be inspected using a rolling methodology.

Tapsell said the changes will have little impact on the cost or method of restoring the museum.

However, she said the proposal “potentially opens doors” for the Blue Baths to eventually reopen.

Tapsell will soon meet with Building and Construction Minister Chris Pink.

“I really want to make sure this should be prioritized if possible,” Tapsell said.

She wanted clarity on “the requirements we will need in government policy” to ensure historic buildings such as the Blue Baths can open “in a safe but also affordable way”.

A final message on the door of the blue bathrooms. Photography/Andrew Warner

Despite understanding the community's “important connections and memories” with the Blue Baths, she warned that investigations indicate reopening “will be difficult” due to structural and geothermal issues.

Therefore, the museum remains the priority.

“Once the wider facilities strategy and rebuilding of the museum is completed, we can turn our attention to the Blue Baths and future options.”

More will be known within about six months after the proposal is ratified, Tapsell said.

A Rotorua Lakes Council spokesman said no decisions had been made about the future of the Blue Baths.

“The council has focused on other priorities since the closure of the Blue Baths,” they said.

Future options are included in ongoing work on the facilities strategy and will likely be “considered as part of the next long-term plan”.

The council conducted monthly inspections to ensure bathrooms adhered to building fitness requirements.

“Anything found broken or posing a risk to the security of the building is repaired, including repairing loose ceiling tiles.”

The Council was “closely following” the declaration of buildings vulnerable to earthquakes and was “encouraged by the Minister’s positive approach.”

The council was not “able” to confirm which of its buildings might be affected or how, as the proposal is still being consulted.

“Once the new rules are in place, we will carefully review our position and make informed decisions based on the updated guidance.”

The council expressed hope that if the changes happen “they could provide greater clarity and help reduce costs and delays for property owners”.

Joe Romanis, a former Blue Baths tenant, could not be reached, who previously estimated it could take $12 million to bring the building back to an operable standard — barring more extensive seismic repairs.

Pack n Save Rotorua. Photo/NZME

The city center's Pak'nSave has also been listed on the Register of Earthquake-Prone Buildings.

A spokesman for Pak'nSave owner Foodstuffs said it was “monitoring” the regulatory changes but there was “no sign” they would impact the Amohau and Fenton St sites.

The spokesman also confirmed that seismic strengthening at the store had been completed “well above” the required standards, and that work on the gas station was imminent.

The proposed changes are included in the Building Amendment (Earthquake Vulnerable Building System Reform) Bill, which will undergo a select committee process and is expected to be passed into law early next year.

Matthew Nash is a local democracy reporting journalist for the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, was a regular contributor to RNZ and was a UK football correspondent for eight years.

– LDR is a local journalism organization jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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