Heritage building owners warned over demolitions

Insurance and demolition workers watch as an earthquake damaged building is demolished after the Christchurch earthquake. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Owners of heritage buildings damaged in Saturday's earthquake have been warned not to knock them down without written approval from the Christchurch City Council.

Numerous historic buildings have been damaged during the week.

Civil Defence Controller Michael Aitken warned against pre-emptive demolitions.

Owners of historic buildings should seek the advice of the council and get a professional to carry out a full structural assessment of their properties, he said.

"The city and the council value our heritage buildings and will take the most constructive path to recovering them," Mr Aitken said.

"If there is a concern about building stability, the first response will be to stabilise them if at all possible."

Meanwhile, Civil Defence has clarified the different colour codes for damaged buildings.

A red placard means that people should not enter or occupy the building because it has been determined as unsafe. It is not a demolition order. Nor does it mean the adjacent building is 'red'.

Buildings with a red placard require a further detailed structural assessment by a building professional engaged by the owner. That assessment must then be discussed with the Christchurch City Council's building evaluation and inspection team to determine options.

A yellow placard means the building has limited access and further structural assessment is needed by the owner's consultants.

A green placard means there has been a brief inspection only. While no apparent structural or other safety hazards have been found, a more comprehensive inspection of the exterior and interior may reveal structural or safety hazards.

It is the building owner's or occupier's responsibility to get further independent advice regarding the safety of any building if necessary.

If there is no placard on a building, owners or occupiers should check for visible damage. It is recommended that where there is concern, a registered master builder or - in the case of building integrity - a structural engineer, should check the building before declaring it safe to occupy. They should then liaise with the Council about options.

Business owners with enquiries should contact the council's building Evaluation Team via the Christchurch City Council call centre on (03) 941 8999.

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