The Government is giving owners of earthquake prone buildings four extra years to do any required strengthening work.

That extension, along with a review into the regulations, was announced earlier this week, which has been welcomed by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ).

Among those who support the move is Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan, who is on the LGNZ Zone 6 committee.

“I think the most important part is the pause to allow a full review,” he said.

“Many of our community halls are used very infrequently and I wonder if the answer lies not in spending huge amounts of money on strengthening such buildings, the reality of which may be unaffordability causing demolition, but in individual responsibility.”

He said if a building was clearly shown to be earthquake prone, people could potentially make their own assessment as to whether they chose to hire it or enter it, something he described as a “more practical and mature approach”, instead of putting our heritage at risk.

LGNZ advocated for the decision the Government came to this week as part of a remit led by Manawatū District Council.

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk made the announcement on Thursday, including the fact work on the review would start immediately.

“Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that gets in the way of doing business and getting things done.”

He said without change, a significant number of buildings could sit empty, which would have a devastating impact on the economy in cities such as Wellington and provincial towns across New Zealand.

“While there is already a review scheduled for 2027, the Government has decided to bring this forward to provide greater certainty and this work will begin immediately.”

He said terms of reference will be agreed on next month.

“The review will be extensive and consider the appropriate risk settings to protect safety while ensuring the rules are workable to support businesses, increase economic activity and create jobs.”

The review will also look at the way overseas jurisdictions manage earthquake risk.