Seismic strengthening 'unnecessary burden'
New exemptions from seismic strengthening requirements show the policy is inconsistent and unnecessary, a lobby group says.
Monday, July 7th 2014, 12:00AM
by The Landlord
The Government has announced it will exempt farm buildings from the requirement for owners of buildings to upgrade them to national earthquake standards or demolish them within 20 years.
BusinessNZ chief executive Phil O’Reilly said it highlighted the unnecessary burden being placed on all building owners affected by the requirements.
“In the wake of the Christchurch quakes, earthquake-vulnerable buildings are already prompting safety concerns and higher insurance premiums. These market responses are already leading to building owners upgrading or demolishing them. There is no need for a regulatory requirement on top of this. Owners of older buildings in smaller centres will be particularly hard hit by the cost of this policy. It could lead to many buildings, including heritage buildings, being demolished needlessly.”
| « Healthy lifestyle property market: REINZ | Free Investment Property Showcase Events: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch » |
Special Offers
Comments from our readers
No comments yet
Sign In to add your comment
|
|
Printable version |
|
Email to a friend |
