New Zealand authorities get tough on demolition delays; confirm 5,000 homes are to fall.
Wellington City Council’s move to get tough on building owners who are taking too long to strengthen or demolish earthquake-prone buildings has been welcomed by a seismic engineer.
Adam Thornton, who has been involved in looking into building collapses in Christchurch, said the council’s move to put red stickers on some buildings and give notice to tenants to vacate was the tail end of a long process.
Council action in the past 30 years had resulted in the strengthening of many of Wellington’s old buildings, and some of those now under notice were owners who had thumbed their noses at the council for many years. “I have little sympathy that they are now getting notices. I think it’s necessary.
“There is greater awareness of the risk and we’re getting a lot of queries from building owners who say their tenants are concerned and not willing to sign lease renewals unless there is progress.”
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Meanwhile, the New Zealand government has offered to buy thousands of the most badly quake-damaged houses in Christchurch so it can demolish them.
Announcing the buyout plan, John Key, the prime minister, said some land in the worst-hit areas was so unstable it would be impossible to rebuild on it “for many years”. The decision means land in the razed suburbs will effectively be abandoned in the city’s rebuild.
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