Whakatāne District Council will start earthquake-strengthening work on the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall this week. The hall will remain open to the public during the work, though some areas will be inaccessible at times.

The work has been planned because the facility was identified as needing improvements in a recent Council building assessment programme. The remediation works on the War Memorial Hall has been prioritised because it serves as a Civil Defence welfare centre.

"We are proactively addressing the earthquake-strengthening of the War Memorial Hall in a timely manner, ahead of requirements, to ensure the facility meets national requirements," says Beau Fraser, Council Properties and Facilities Assets Team Leader.

Council staff members are working with event organisers and regular War Memorial Hall users to minimise any inconvenience to them while the work is undertaken. The work is timed to reduce disruption as much as possible, coinciding with school holidays when hall bookings are generally quieter. The strengthening work is expected to be completed by the end of November 2019.

Contractors will be on-site from 7.30 am - 3.30 pm daily, so evening users won't be affected.