Identifying potentially earthquake-prone buildings
Last updated: 15 August 2017
Territorial authorities (local councils) are required to identify potentially earthquake-prone buildings. The EPB methodology sets out how to do this.
There are two key pathways territorial authorities can use when identifying potentially earthquake-prone buildings:
1. Identify particular types of buildings within set time frames
The EPB methodology includes ‘profile categories’ for buildings based on characteristics like the age of the building, the type of construction and common building features. Earthquake-prone buildings in these categories must be identified within time frames set by the seismic risk of the area.
In high or medium seismic risk areas there are ‘priority buildings’, which territorial authorities should identify first.
Owners of potentially earthquake-prone buildings will be notified by their territorial authority and will be asked to provide an engineering assessment of the building or part.
2. Identify buildings at any time
Territorial authorities have the power to identify other buildings as potentially earthquake prone at any time. The EPB methodology outlines when this might apply.
Owners of potentially earthquake-prone buildings will be notified by their territorial authority and will be asked to provide an engineering assessment of the building or part.
The methodology to identify earthquake-prone buildings has more information.
Priority Buildings: a guide to the earthquake-prone building provisions of the Building Act has more information on identifying priority buildings.
Territorial authorities and earthquake-prone buildings has more information on the responsibilities of territorial authorities.
Online learning: Identify earthquake-prone buildings
Learn more by taking the online course about identifying potentially earthquake-prone buildings.