11/05/2006

Council has new powers over unsafe buildings

Otorohanga District Council is toughening up on local building standards.
The Building Act 2004 is coming into effect, following the Government's review of its 1991 predecessor.
The review was driven by concerns regarding the robustness of building frameworks, and a desire to improve the quality of buildings.
The Act contains several new policy and regulatory requirements, including all territorial authorities developing and adopting policies on earthquake prone, dangerous and insanitary buildings by May 31.
Council's building control officer John Apeldoorn presented council with the draft policies, which were approved to allow finalisation.
Under the new earthquake risk requirements, council will regard buildings built prior to 1935 as high priority to be identified, assessed and modified.
In the past; council has not distinguished priority buildings by age.
"Council will continue to actively engage in the identification of potentially affected buildings, and pursue assessment of the building and structural improvements," said Mr Apeldoorn.
Dangerous and insanitary buildings will now also be more closely monitored by council officers.
"Identification of these types of buildings is particularly difficult as a building's external appearance doesn't necessarily reflect its internal condition," said Mr Apeldoorn.
"For this reason, council has been reliant upon external sources such as building occupants, neighbours, police, the fire service and other agencies to inform them of dangerous and insanitary buildings."
If immediate danger is now posed by the condition of a building, or if a solution cannot be negotiated with the building owner, council will exercise their statutory powers under the Act.
"Where the situation requires, immediate action will be taken without consultation with the building owner, to remove danger or fix insanitary conditions," said Mr Apeldoorn.
Previously improvements and the timeframe they were carried out in, were at the discretion of the owners.
"Unfortunately we are not going to meet the May 31 deadline, but we do need to get the ball rolling, to have the policies put in place as soon as possible," said Mr Apeldoorn.
Once final policies are approved, public consultation will take place.