Legislation is now in place which requires commercial buildings to be assessed for being earthquake prone.  Councils are responsible for classifying buildings and providing advice to building owners.

We strongly suggest commercial building owners talk to the Building Control officers at their local Council to discuss the requirements and options for their building as each building will need to be individually assessed based on a wide range of factors, and different regions have different timeframes due to their risk rating.

Funding is available to support earthquake strengthing from Heritage EQUIP of up to 65% to bring a building to 34% of code. Full details are on their website.

Some Councils also provide incentives to assist building owners. Your local Council's Town Planning Manager can provide assitance to what is available.

The Trust welcomes your enquiries for a more indepth discussion - we are here to help and have good knowledge and experience in this area.  Contact Bruce Dickson on 027 270 7849, or Helen Craig 021 1030737.