Christchurch Earthquake - Information for Owners of Commercial Buildings

Commercial Building in the CBD and on Major Arterial Routes: Our advice is for building owners to assess whether their building is suitable for its intended use - taking into account the state of the structure of the building and having regard to public safety and the safety of their employees working in the buildings. We have undertaken external evaluations of most of the commercial and retail buildings in the CBD and Arterial Routes - Papanui Road, Ferry Road, Riccarton Road, Colombo Street and Lincoln Road. Most commercial buildings throughout the City are back to normal use after these evaluations and assessments by owners/builders/engineers have shown them to be safe.

For those buildings with a green placard - this means the building is considered safe for its intended use - 70% of buildings evaluated have received a green placard. Owners/builders/engineers have also conducted their own evaluations and cleared the building for use.

Unsafe or Restricted Access buildings - The situation is different for those buildings where owners/builders/engineers have founds problems or they have a yellow or red placards and they are not considered suitable for their intended use at present.

For those buildings with a yellow placard this means the building has limited access, as noted on the placard, and further structural assessment is needed by the owners consultants - 25% of buildings have received a yellow placard.

For those buildings with a red placard this means the building is considered unsafe and further structural assessment is needed. These buildings have generally been isolated with barriers - 5% of buildings have received a red placard.

Insurance: If you are insured please contact your insurance companies to gain their advice, help and assistance. We understand that you can undertake immediate necessary repairs to get back into operation but need to keep a complete record and evidence of work carried out. Your Insurance Company will advise.

Council Building Recovery Office: From next Monday (13 September) the Council will have a Building Recovery Office in place in their new building in Hereford Street. This is for businesses affected by the Disaster. Businesses needing to undertake demolition, major repairs or rebuilds can access this office:
* to register the need for demolition, major repairs or rebuilds
* quickly obtain consents needed to proceed
* architectural/engineering advice
* property records
* to determine eligibility for financial assistance from Mayoral Fund

ENDS

BUDGET 2012:
Parliament Debate Live - Video Of Budget 2011
Keith Ng Interactive Graphic: How the Budget Breaks Down
BUDGET 2012 - FULL COVERAGE: Reports / Analysis - Press Kit - Reaction (from everybody) - Previews (from everybody) - Pre-Budget Announcements

Gordon Campbell: On the Budget’s Spreadsheet Victories

It wasn’t as if expectations were sky high, exactly. Chances are, it was always more likely that we’d be seeing Bigfoot rampage through the Beehive lock-up than catch a glimpse of a credible growth agenda from this government. More >>

Sludge Budget Report - Short The Dollar! MEMO: To international bankers FROM: C.D. Sludge Please short the dollar! It'll be good for both you and us. And you know you want to. Greexit, Eurogeddon... watch out... flight to quality and all that. Follow your instincts. The NZ Debt Management Office has been so surprised at the unprecedentedly low interest rates that it can borrow at that it has already entirely pre-funded the 2013 fiscal deficit - all $8 billion of it! More >>

Pattrick Smellie Comment: Doddling along the best we can hope forCriticising Budgets for lacking vision or imagination is like shooting fish in a barrel, but even so, this year's Budget again feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps it's the intrusion of real world needs that means the government couldn't make better political use of the $558.8 million it expects to gather in its first partial asset sale. More >>