Public urged to take care around Central City cordons

Drivers and pedestrians are being reminded to take extra care in the Central City while cordons are in place around damaged buildings.

Since the Boxing Day aftershocks, Council building inspectors and contracted structural engineers have assessed more than 3000 buildings externally within the four avenues. As a result of these assessments, around 4km of cordons have also been erected around damaged buildings.

Of the more than 3000 buildings that have been assessed externally this week, 151 require immediate remedial work. Repair notices will have been issued for all of these buildings by the end of today. Fifteen of these buildings have been repaired as required, allowing the notices to be lifted and, where cordons have been in place, for them to be removed.

General Manager City Environment Jane Parfitt says,” Cordons are in place to protect the public from falling hazards from earthquake-damaged buildings and no one should enter the cordons. Many of the new cordons do not include space for pedestrians to walk through so the public are advised to take extra care.”

Due to the number of cordons in place in the central city, a 30km/h speed restriction still exists in some Central City streets. The restriction is in place in the area bounded by St Asaph, Madras , Gloucester Streets and Cambridge Tce/Durham Street .

Jane Parfitt says staff have been called in from holiday following the aftershocks on Sunday. However, because of the extent of the work, it could still take longer than usual to remove or reduce cordons, which will allow businesses to return to their buildings.

Other Central City information:

* The left turn from Hereford Street into Manchester Street , which re-opened on 23 December, remains open following the Boxing Day aftershocks.
* Gloucester Street between Colombo and Manchester Streets is currently one-way while repairs are being made to an historic building in Gloucester Street (the building is currently the Coachman on the Square backpackers).

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