9 Nov 2017

Shutter buildings that miss quake deadline - investor

3:22 pm on 9 November 2017

Wellington buildings that aren't made quake safe by next year's deadline should be emptied and their doors closed, a property investor says.

Building owners in Wellington have until 31 March to fix unreinforced masonry, but two-thirds of the 100 owners who need to are struggling to do so.

This morning Wellington City councillors voted to push ahead with looking at how it can help building owners meet the deadline.

This includes being a lender of last resort.

Property investor Richard Burrell told the council some owners have not maintained their buildings for years and they must do so now.

"You need to stick to your deadline. If they haven't commenced work we need put containers put in front of the shops and buildings vacated, because once they lose their income stream they will come to the market."

Mr Burrell said those who have not made moves to fix their facades were not responsible building owners.

Councillor in charge of infrastructure, Iona Pannett, said there were some building owners who have just been collecting rent.

She said it was time for the council to get more strict with those who have not begun to fix their facades.

"We can not tolerate any death or injury from unsafe buildings.

"Building owners do have a responsibility to make sure that their building is safe.

"So while I think the city and the government should help them, they still need to help themselves as well."

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