Tauranga firefighters call for urgent rebuild of earthquake-prone station

Tauranga secretary of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union Mike Swanson says building a new Tauranga Fire Station is long overdue . Photo / Sandra Conchie

Delays in replacing a fire station at “significant” risk of partial collapse in an earthquake are putting people at risk and causing “intolerable” stress, a union says.

Senior firefighter and NZ Professional Firefighters Union Tauranga secretary Mike Swanson said members were “frustrated and increasingly concerned” after waiting years for a new Tauranga Fire Station.

The 1957-built station on Cameron Rd was ruled earthquake-prone by Tauranga City Council in 2019.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand says “stringent” assessments found bracing and cladding issues, but “no life safety risk”.

Swanson said the station building was “not fit-for-purpose”, with ongoing health, safety, and operational implications for staff.

Parts of it had a seismic risk rating of only 18% of the New Building Standard for buildings of high importance during major hazard events - considered a significant seismic risk under the Building Act.

He said concerns about parts being “of significant risk of collapse” had been known for years before 2019, and the union pushed to have the station evacuated and rebuilt.

When Fire and Emergency indicated it wanted to rebuild the station in 2028/29, the union pushed for it to happen sooner.

He said a complete rebuild was approved by the Fire and Emergency board in 2022.

“Because FENZ agreed to fast-track the rebuild project without delay, our members reluctantly agreed to keep occupying the building until a new station was built.”

Swanson said construction had been expected to start this month or next on land bought last year adjacent to the current station.

“Now the national management has decided to re-evaluate the organisation’s rebuilding priorities despite the known health and safety risks to our staff.”

He said some repairs were done in 2023 after the union issued Fire and Emergency with a WorkSafe provisional improvement notice.

Temporary security fencing erected around most at-risk parts of the earthquake-prone Tauranga Fire Station building. Photo / Sandra Conchie

The building was checked for asbestos, masonry cracks were sealed with epoxy glue, and temporary fencing was erected inside and outside around the most earthquake-risk parts, at the northern end.

The indoor fencing had since been replaced with painted lines indicating “essentially … collapse zones” that would be covered in rubble in a big quake, he said.

“Upstairs are staff offices and our smoko room, and downstairs are bedrooms for firefighters rostered on at night. So essentially, our career firefighters occupy the most dangerous parts of the building.”

There were four firefighters on duty at all times and about five other staff also worked from the building.

Tauranga secretary of the NZ Professional Firefighters' Union Mike Swanson near a fenced off area of the Tauranga Fire Station. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Swanson said firefighters would not be able to protect the public if they and their equipment were trapped in an earthquake.

“We have been very patient, but our patience is at an end. And it’s not fair to our families to continue to come to work in this place with the level of risk our members face.”

Staff wanted assurances from Fire and Emergency about the rebuild timeline.

“If FENZ is going to walk away from the rebuild project, our members will have to reassess whether it’s in our best interests to continue occupying the current station.”

Union national secretary Joanne Watson said Fire and Emergency had “known for 15 years that Tauranga Station is a dire earthquake risk”.

Joanne Watson, national secretary of the NZ Professional Firefighters' Union.

The union was told in February 2023 building a new station was a priority.

“Now we are told it is being pushed back without any timeframe for it to happen.”

In Watson’s view, Fire and Emergency was “throwing the dice” on the lives of Tauranga staff and their ability to respond to the community.

She said it placed “intolerable” stress on members.

“They worry constantly and some are experiencing high levels of anxiety.”

Tauranga Fire Station. Photo / Alex Cairns

Even the most minor earthquakes caused “significant stress”.

She said Fire and Emergency should at least move staff and appliances out of the most compromised areas, pending the new build.

Sarah Sinclair, Fire and Emergency deputy chief executive of organisational strategy and capability development, said fire stations had to be “especially resilient” to enable teams to respond to a major hazard event.

The Tauranga station had been assessed as needing improvements to the exterior cladding - including how it was fixed to the building - and to some bracing in the appliance bay, to meet resilience requirements.

Tauranga City Council's earthquake prone building notice posted on Tauranga Fire Station building. Photo / Sandra Conchie

She said under government regulations, Fire and Emergency had until 2035 to do this.

“The assessments had been stringent, followed government regulations, and confirm no life safety risk to the building.”

Fire and Emergency was developing a procurement strategy for the rebuild next door, she said.

Council building services manager Steve Pearce said the station was issued an earthquake-prone building notice in November 2019.

This effectively required the building to be strengthened or demolished within 12.5 years - a timeframe extended another four years by a law change last year.

“There is no current or overdue requirement to strengthen the building.”

Tauranga was considered a medium risk under the earthquake-prone building criteria, and the fire station was a priority building.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news.She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.