Engineers speak out on seismic resilience and water

Engineers speak out on seismic resilience and water

Engineers call for fresh thinking about New Zealand’s seismic and water challenges, in a report released today.

Engineering a Better New Zealand sets out an expert engineering vision for a healthier, more prosperous New Zealand - and the steps we must take together to get there. It’s the first in a series of thought leadership reports from Engineering New Zealand.

Engineering New Zealand President Dean Kimpton says community resilience sits at the heart of this vision.

“We must deliver a more resilient and sustainable New Zealand that can thrive in the face of climate change, natural disasters and the effects of growing urbanisation. We need to aspire to more than being experts in post-event fixes.

“In Engineering a Better New Zealand, we call for a new regulatory approach to existing buildings that better protects people from severe earthquakes. We also call for a rethink on what we’re designing buildings for – is it enough just to allow evacuation or should we be making buildings that have a life beyond a moderate earthquake?

“In terms of water, we support the Government’s move to fix our ‘broken drinking-water system’, and we ask the community to place a greater value on safe water. We look at lessons from recent floods and we call for hard decisions to be made in the face of climate change.”

Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene says it’s time for engineers to speak out and make their voice heard.

“Engineers work at the coalface of seismic and water issues. They’re best placed to work with our communities to identify and solve these challenges.”

Read the full report

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