A planned earthquake strengthening project for the Whakatāne District Council Civic Centre has been placed on hold to allow a detailed business case to be developed for community consultation.

While the Civic Centre is not classified as ‘earthquake-prone’, a detailed seismic assessment has indicated that it does not meet the earthquake resistance standard required for buildings which serve as an Emergency Operations Centre in a civil emergency. The seismic assessment – rated at 37% of a new building standard – is also lower than most government organisations would consider acceptable, from a public and employee safety perspective.

Based on preliminary concept designs, the proposed seismic strengthening programme for the building had a budget of $3 million. Reporting to the Council’s Projects and Services Committee last week, Planning, Regulatory and Corporate Services General Manager David Bewley said it had now become clear that that initial budget was insufficient.

“After carrying out detailed design work, the revised cost estimate for the strengthening was $5.8 million,” he explained. “Business continuity costs required to relocate staff from the building during the construction phase, and temporarily relocate our computer server room, would add an additional $1-1.5 million to the cost, while other identified upgrades to ‘future-proof’ the building were costed at a further $1.5 million.”

He said the project was therefore likely to cost in excess of $8 million. “An investment of that scale should be subject to a robust business case analysis, to ensure that all options have been explored and the best way forward identified. Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy would also require that a formal consultation process be undertaken, to ensure that the community has an opportunity to express its views on the proposal.”

Speaking to the report, Deputy Mayor Judy Turner welcomed the proposed approach. “This will give us a chance to catch our breath and think creatively about the options which will best suit the organisation’s and the community’s needs,” she said.

Committee members adopted recommendations that the seismic strengthening project should not proceed in its current form, and that a project steering group comprising Council elected members and staff explore further options and develop a business case to redefine the project scope, budget and timeframe.