Roger Sutton- Public needs confidence | Canterbury Opinion | Local Voices from Canterbury, New Zealand

Ensuring the safety of commercial and large multi-unit buildings is a key focus at CERA at the moment, particularly as we experience ongoing seismic activity.  

As part of this effort, CERA requests all commercial and large multi-unit building owners to provide information about the structural assessments of their buildings, and requires them to have an assessment done if they haven't already.  

Making sure buildings are fit for purpose is one of the most important issues for CERA as the CBD cordon is progressively reduced and business activity and the public return to the central city. A vital element of recovery, particularly in the CBD, is that people in those buildings, whether they are staff or customers, know they are safe. Insurers and regulatory authorities need to be assured of building safety too, and ongoing seismic activity makes it possible  the state of buildings may change over time.  

Commercial building owners need to provide the public with confidence in the buildings they own by undertaking detailed structural engineering evaluations and providing the information to CERA in a timely manner. This is particularly important for buildings with high public use.  

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011 allows information to be sought about structures which may have been affected, from anyone who has it, if they are asked for it and can provide it without unreasonable difficulty or expense. Building owners can be required to carry out structural inspections and provide the information to CERA under sections 51 and 29 of the Act.  

Building owners receive a notice under section 29 of the CER Act to provide information about whether their building is being used and about any structural assessments that have already been done. Some building owners will also receive a notice requiring them to carry out a detailed structural assessment under section 51 of the CER Act.

Under section 51, any owner, insurer, or mortgagee of a building that may have been affected can be required to  carry out a full structural survey of the building before it is re-occupied for business or accommodation by the owner, a tenant, or any member of the public.  

When they receive a notice under section 51 of the CER Act, building owners, or their representatives, are required to have a Chartered Professional Engineer (Structural) complete a structural engineering assessment, and notify CERA that an engineer has been appointed within 10 working days.  

Those failing to do so may be subject to a notice restricting or prohibiting access to their buildings under section 45 of the CER Act until they have complied.  

CERA passes the information received to the Christchurch City Council for its information. The council may have further requirements that must be met prior to a vacant building being reoccupied, or for the continued occupation of a building currently in use.