The Government and Royal Commission proposals for new rules on earthquake-prone buildings will be of interest to building owners throughout the region.
The consultation document puts forward new rules that would mean tighter timeframes for shoring up at-risk buildings, and implications for all buildings, even single-level homes.
Falling hazards, like chimneys,
could be made to be reinforced or removed, which will no doubt be an unwelcome cost to many home-owners.
But it's not a surprising recommendation, given many of those who died in the Canterbury earthquake were killed by falling debris, many from unreinforced masonry buildings.
Here in Wairarapa there are many buildings in need of earthquake strengthening - the 75-year-old Times-Age building on Chapel St is among them.