Territorial authorities and earthquake-prone buildings

Under the national system for identifying and managing EPBs, territorial authorities must:

• identify potential EPBs and notify the building owners
• review engineering assessments provided by building owners
• determine whether a building is an earthquake-prone building
• issue EPB signs to owners of EPBs
• publish information about EPBs on the EPB register.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) developed a methodology in 2017 to assist in this process. A new EPB methodology will be published in early 2027.

The methodology to identify earthquake-prone buildings

Seismic zone changes

Buildings in low seismic zones are no longer covered by the EPB system.

The low seismic zones are:

• Auckland
• the Chatham Islands
• the upper North Island low seismic zone.

Territorial authorities must remove all existing EPBs in these areas from the EPB register. Building owners must be notified and may remove EPB notices from their buildings.

New EPBs cannot be identified in low seismic zones.

Areas of the South Island and Stewart Island that were previously in a low seismic zone are now in a medium seismic zone. Existing EPBs in these areas may remain in the system, and more EPBs may be identified in the future.

For more information about these changes, including a map of the updated seismic zones, see:

Changes to the earthquake-prone building system

Transitioning to the new system

All areas except Auckland, the Chatham Islands and the upper North Island low seismic zone will transition to the new EPB system on 1 July 2027.

Until these changes take effect on 1 July 2027, existing requirements remain in place.

From 1 July 2027, MBIE agreement is required to designate new EPBs in medium and high seismic zones, except in parts of the South Island and Stewart Island that were previously in a low seismic zone.

Identifying and assessing earthquake-prone buildings

Identifying potential earthquake-prone buildings

Territorial authorities must identify potential EPBs in their district. To do this, they must:

• apply the seismiczones in their district
• use information they already hold about a building, such as previous assessments or work completed on the building
• use the categories set out in the EPB methodology
• identify potential EPBs through their day-to-day activities, such as building consent applications and proposed changes of use
• consider priority buildings first, as they have shorter identification timeframes.

Some priority buildings are considered higher risk because of their location. Territorial authorities must work with their communities to identify routes with priority buildings.

More information (current system)

Advice on how to use existing information on file to identify potentially earthquake-prone buildings

Priority Buildings: a guide to the earthquake-prone building provisions of the Building Act

Informing building owners

If a territorial authority identifies a building, or part of a building, as potentially earthquake-prone, it must ask the building owner to provide an engineering assessment.

The request must include a due date for the assessment. Building owners have 12 months from the date of the request to provide the assessment.

The request must also explain the options available if the owner is not reasonably able to provide the assessment by the due date.

Engineering assessments

Providing an engineering assessment

Building owners have 12 months from the date of the request to provide an engineering assessment to the territorial authority.

A building owner can apply for an additional 12-month extension if they are not reasonably able to provide the assessment by the due date.

If the building owner does not provide an engineering assessment by the due date, the territorial authority can designate the building as an EPB without further information.

Considering engineering assessments

Territorial authorities must check that engineering assessments meet the requirements of the EPB methodology.

Territorial authorities can accept assessments completed before the current system came into effect if they meet the criteria in the EPB methodology.

More information about this can be found in the EPB methodology. A new EPB methodology will be published in early 2027 to provide information on the new EPB system.

EPB methodology

Managing earthquake-prone buildings

Determining and assigning an earthquake rating

Territorial authorities use information from the engineering assessment to determine whether a building is earthquake-prone.

Under the current EPB system, if a building is identified as earthquake-prone, an earthquake rating must be assigned to the building. The EPB methodology sets out how earthquake ratings are assigned.

An earthquake rating is expressed as a percentage of the New Building Standard (NBS). The rating is based on the engineering assessment and shows how a building is expected to perform in an earthquake compared with a new building designed to meet current Building Code requirements.

The Building (Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005 set the following earthquake rating categories:

• 0% to less than 20% NBS
• 20% to less than 34% NBS

These categories determine which EPB notice is issued.

For detailed information, see:

Building (Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005 — legislation.govt.nz

Earthquake-prone building notices

EPB owners must display an EPB notice as a sign on their building.

Territorial authorities are responsible for issuing EPB notices to building owners.

These notices have different coloured borders to indicate the earthquake rating category of the building.

Information about the building must also be published on the EPB register.

Read about the meaning of EPB notices

Earthquake-prone building register

The EPB register provides public information about buildings that territorial authorities have identified as earthquake-prone.

Territorial authorities must add information about EPBs to the EPB register. MBIE maintains the register.

Register of earthquake-prone buildings

Exemptions and heritage buildings

Considering and granting exemptions

Owners of an EPB, or part of an EPB, can apply to their territorial authority for an exemption from carrying out seismic work.

The regulations set out the characteristics a building must have to be eligible for an exemption.

Territorial authorities should only grant an exemption if the consequences of the building failing would be low, including risks to people and property.

Buildings that may be eligible for an exemption are generally located away from other buildings and areas used by the public. This may include some small rural community halls and churches.

Priority buildings will not usually be eligible for an exemption because of their use, location or occupancy characteristics.

Extensions for heritage buildings

Territorial authorities may receive applications for extensions of up to 10 years to strengthen an earthquake-prone heritage building.

To be eligible, the building must be:

• a Category 1 historic place on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero, or
• included on the National Historic Landmarks list/Ngā Manawhenua o Aotearoa me ōna Kōrero Tūturu.

Managing non-compliance

If building owners do not display an EPB notice, provide an engineering assessment or carry out seismic work within the required timeframes, territorial authorities can take action.

For more information, see:

The Building Act 2004 — legislation.govt.nz

Reporting on identification progress

Territorial authorities must regularly report to MBIE on their progress identifying potential EPBs. How often they report depends on the seismic risk area:

• High risk: annually
• Medium risk: every 2 years

Territorial authorities with multiple seismic risk zones must report on progress across their whole district. The reporting frequency is based on the highest seismic risk area in the district.

To find out how often a territorial authority must report, check its seismic zone.

For more information, see the digital seismic map:

Changes to the earthquake-prone building system

More information

Find resources and tools to support the identification and management of EPBs:

Earthquake-prone buildings resources

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