This book is only available in PDF format

Authors: Richard Chung, Doran Wyatt
Published: 29 June 2020
Pages: 48

Introduction

New Zealand is on the Pacific “ring of fire” and straddles a major fault between the Australasian and Pacific tectonic plates. As such, every region of New Zealand is at some risk of earthquakes and over time New Zealand law, building standards and business practices have evolved to reflect and meet the challenges this brings.

In the last decade, earthquake events have increased the awareness of seismic-related risks in New Zealand. Significant changes in that time to legislation and the way in which building earthquake ratings are assessed mean that seismic risk and the attendant legal issues are now a key consideration for all building owners and occupiers. It is increasingly important that practitioners in the area understand the law and can offer practical advice on the issues involved.

This seminar is intended to provide an update on the law and practical issues for practitioners acting for commercial property owners and occupiers. We have assumed that practitioners in this area will have passing familiarity with earthquake-related legislation and case law developments.

The first section of this paper provides an explanation of some key terms and concepts relevant to structural building issues, an overview of the current legislative framework and some observations on the current state of play.

The second section of this paper provides some practical matters for practitioners to be aware of when acting for builders, owners or occupiers of buildings that are affected by earthquake related issues.

Content outline

• Key Terms & Concepts
• Building Act 2004 Requirements
• Health and Safety Considerations
• Things for Practitioners to Consider