Wellington City Council Has No Right To Compromise Public Safety In Earthquake Standards

United New Zealand leader and Ohariu Belmont MP, Hon Peter Dunne, says the Wellington City Council's excuses that tougher earthquake standards could lead to the demolition of many older city buildings of heritage value are not good enough.

He was commenting on the Council's response to criticisms from insurers, earthquake engineers and him about the application of current earthquake standards to many older Wellington buildings.

"The bottom line is that public safety cannot be put at risk, yet by adopting this excuse that is precisely what the Council is doing," he says.

Mr Dunne says people have no right to be put in a situation where, in the event of a major earthquake, their lives are threatened because they are required to be in unsafe buildings.

"Most people have no control at all over whether the buildings they work in are earthquake safe or not, and it is absolutely no comfort to them that the costs of strengthening these buildings might be too high."

"Given the certainty of a major earthquake in Wellington, no precautions in the interest of public safety can be too great," Mr Dunne says.

ENDS

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