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Since the early days of New Zealand settlement, buildings have been designed to withstand earthquakes. Despite successive improvements in building technology and building code standards, many existing buildings are at risk from earthquakes. In these buildings, people may be harmed or even killed in the event of a substantial earthquake. This report (pdf, 505 kb) examines the policy context of managing heritage buildings that are earthquake-prone. It reviews international agreements, national and international contexts and guidance available from various agencies, examines the development of New Zealand's building code and looks at current civil defence planning. |
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The NZHPT published the first National Assessment of RMA District Plan Heritage Provisions in January 2009. This report was based on information up to November 2008. This report has been updated and the National Assessment of RMA policy and plan heritage provisions 2011 report (pdf, 1mb) provides an overview of RMA district plan provisions relating to historic heritage. This enables comparable assessments and tracking of progress to protect historic heritage by local authorities in New Zealand. The 2011 National Assessment broadened the scope of the assessment to include progress involving the range of RMA policies: national policy statements, regional policy statements and other initiatives such as spatial planning. This scope reflects the importance of these planning instruments and the emerging diversity of planning tools to manage historic heritage. Further, the 2011 National Assessment includes information about numbers of listed heritage items and key risks such as earthquakes, fire, floods and demolition. This focus acknowledges that district plan provisions should not be viewed in isolation from events and initiatives that occur in the wider historic environment. |