Earthquake strengthening

Future-proofing our building

City Gallery — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wellington City Council is earthquake strengthening and upgrading our City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi building.

You’ve got to be bloody kidding me!

Eye of the Fish — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

RNZ News headline today: “Govt spends $10m to fix national war memorial bells, fires only person who can play” The government spent over $10 million...

Yellow stickered for its centenary

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The Wellington City Council is celebrating the centenary of the Embassy Theatre in Courtenay Place, at the same time as it is categorising the heritage cinema as “earthquake prone,” with yellow stickers which carry a confusion of conflicting messages.

Common Ground?

Thistle Hall Community Venue — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT

This event is part of the Aotearoa Festival of Architecture, by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects. When Kaikoura shook, photographer Andy Spain got Wellington's list of earthquake prone buildings and started photographing them. The idea of fixing time became appealing, as many of the buildings were demolished. When asked to exhibit them together however, Andy began to ask what these remnants meant. He visited the petals saved from Athfield's church of First Church of Christ Scientist and saw their fragility. He talked to architects about remedial work which never saw the light of day. What were the consequences of all these traces existing in a time when the fates of many Wellington buildings are so contested? Where heritage competes with social housing, which competes with sustainable reuse, and so on. So, this exhibition is not about the photographs that have been taken, or the drawings drawn, or the artworks saved. It is about how we decide to use these remnants, and what stories we want them to tell.

Earthquake-prone Buildings - Terms of Reference for the review

Inner-City Wellington — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Source: Scoop Parliament Hon Chris Penk Minister for Building and Construction Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced that the review into better managing the risks of earthquake-prone buildings has commenced.

Watch the Livestream recording of the recent ‘Living with Earthquake Risk - have we got it right’ public meeting

Inner-City Wellington — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

On Thursday 22 February 2024 at St Peter’s Church on Willis Street the folks from Live Wellington held a public meeting to discuss the hot topics of earthquake-prone buildings and affordable insurance for apartment buildings.

Te Pae Tiaki Wellington ED, Wellington Regional Hospital – earthquake strengthening update

Capital & Coast District Health Board — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Update from Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley Acting Group Director Operations Hospital & Specialist Services Jamie Duncan

Te Pae Tiaki Wellington ED, Wellington Regional Hospital – earthquake strengthening update

Hutt Valley District Health Board — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Update from Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley Acting Group Director Operations Hospital & Specialist Services Jamie Duncan

More Town Hall

Eye of the Fish — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Greenwelly for alerting me to the substantial report on the WCC website, which is both exhausting, and fascinating. There will be a book...

Town Hall rebuild costs go sky high

Eye of the Fish — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

As far as cost blowouts go, this is a big one, and heads should roll. We here at the Fish have written about the old...

Update on ICW's complaint to The Ombudsman

Inner-City Wellington — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Complaint to the Ombudsman The complaint was finally submitted on 9 September 2023, nearly a year after we started drafting in earnest, and 4.

Do you have a heritage building? There's a new guide

Inner-City Wellington — Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT

From WCC We've produced a new guide to support heritage building owners who need to strengthen their properties against earthquakes.

Dixon Street flats

Eye of the Fish — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

But the big news this week has to be the somewhat silly news that the Dixon Street flats are being emptied out and there is not a clear story of what happens to the building next. This is not a sob storey like the Gordon Wilson Flats just around the corner – well, at least, it hasn’t started off the same.

Increased seismic rankings

Eye of the Fish — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The news was only out yesterday, and briefly mentioned on the news, but I have a horrible feeling that this is going to have a...

Wellington City Council 2022 Elections - what is being said about Earthquake-Prone Buildings?

Inner-City Wellington — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Wellington City Council 2022 Elections - what is being said about Earthquake-Prone Buildings?The following is an update sent out via our eNewsletter from Geraldine Murphy - ICW's spokesperson on seismic matters.

The facts about base isolation at the Central Library

Wellington Scoop — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Building Update - 1 September 2022

All Saints Hataitai — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT

We thought we would give you an update about what has happened in regards to our building recently - which in short is not much!As part of our MAP - Taking Flight process we were looking at some options of what could buildings be used for in this parish in the future and I am sure that has sparked some discussion and some ideas that might be floating around. The Brick Building In July, we received a letter from the Council asking us for an engineering report as they had identified that the building was potentially an earthquake risk. In working with the Diocese we provided the engineering report that was done a while ago (which subsequently meant we could not use the building). Therefore you will see on the doors of the building there are now official notices from the council stating the risk of the building's earthquake rating. It also states on it that we have until 2 July 2037 to rectify the situation.

They spent $31m, and it’s quake prone?

Wellington Scoop — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

What’s gone wrong at the St James? As you enter the restored and strengthened building, you are confronted by a warning from its owner, the Wellington City Council, which wants you to know that the beautiful theatre is earthquake prone. The theatre reopened this month after being closed since 2019 for strengthening and refurbishing.

Earthquake-prone buildings - these are the questions - who has the answers ?

Inner-City Wellington — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Letter to the Editor by Geraldine Murphy, ICW Spokesperson on Seismic Matters published in the Dominion Post.

Celebration

Eye of the Fish — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

In an announcement released quietly on 4th July, by MBIE, there is some massive cause for celebration. “MBIE advises seismically vulnerable buildings can remain occupied”...

Heard about St James Theatre opening events ? today (Friday) & tomorrow!

Inner-City Wellington — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

From website After three years of significant earthquake strengthening and refurbishment, the jewel in the crown of Wellington’s live performance scene is reopening.

Did you hear about the St James opening day celebrations?

Inner-City Wellington — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 22:06:06 GMT

From WCC website St James Theatre celebrations After three years of significant earthquake strengthening and refurbishment, the St James Theatre is now fit for the next 100 years of arts and culture in Wellington.

Farewelling the museum

Cricket Wellington — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

When the New Zealand Cricket Museum closed its doors in early 2019 for earthquake strengthening, the Museum and its collection faced an uncertain future. Fast forward two years and the Museum has been brought back to life, transformed from the original Museum that stood since 1987 into a modern, visually compelling space filled with stories and memoirs from some of New Zealand cricket’s most memorable moments. Behind the transformation is the museum’s curator, Owen Mann, who will move on from his role this month after two years of tireless effort to bring the tales of our great game back home.

Earthquake strengthening fundraising update

St John's in the City — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 00:02:41 GMT

St John’s set out to raise $4.

Shaky ground

Eye of the Fish — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

“Standing on shaky ground, ever since you put me down…” sang the Temptations and it resonates deeply with people of Wellington. We all know that our isles are shaky, and our city has the potential to be shaky in the extreme, but what we perhaps don’t know is just how shaky our particular patch of dirt is beneath our own two feet. I’ve been doing a bit more looking into this – starting with this post we blogged on Tsunami and then I found this other study, on Wellington’s rocky substrate. It’s quite an eye-opener.

Earthquake strengthening to begin in May

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (Inc) — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 20:41:56 GMT

The Club’s earthquake strengthening project will begin in May 2021.

Saving (or demolishing) a 19th century landmark

Wellington Scoop — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Why quake-risk policy is causing losses, disruption, health problems

Wellington Scoop — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Why quake-risk legislation is unreasonable, unfair and harmful

Wellington Scoop — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Aitken Memorial Window - St John’s in the City Earthquake Strengthening Fund

St John's in the City — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 04:17:00 GMT

As of 26 June 2020 Do you want to sponsor a panel of the Aitken Memorial Window as a donation towards the Earthquake Strengthening Fund? Sponsorship can be $250, $500, or $1,000 amounts. For a contribution please follow the instructions below:Bank Account Number: 02 0500 0021908 01Reference: WindowAmount of sponsorship: $________________ and email the church office at enquiries@stjohnsinthecity.org.nz with your details so a receipt can be issued or if you want your name to appear on the panel that you have sponsored.