Rotorua Blue Baths closure: $84k assessment shows building below quake standards

Fencing has been placed around the Blue Baths to ensure people's safety. Photo / Andrew Warner

The earthquake standards of Rotorua's Blue Baths fall well below standard, $84,618 tests and assessments have revealed.

The heritage building closed on January 26 to investigate concerns about the structural integrity of the building.

It followed a full geotechnical survey of the ground under the Blue Baths commissioned by Rotorua Lakes Council last year.

When NZME asked about the closure in May this year, the council remained tight-lipped about details of the concerns and the building's closure.

Today, in a statement posted on the council website, it revealed the Initial Seismic Assessment in January suggested the Blue Baths met only 15 per cent of New Building Standards.

That is less than a quarter of the acceptable standard.

Thirty-three per cent or less is considered earthquake-prone, 34 to 67 per cent is considered an earthquake risk and 68 per cent or more is considered acceptable.

The council revealed the assessment and tests had cost $84,618 to date.

In the statement, the council said it had only just announced the closure because "council has been in discussions with the leaseholder about the ground conditions under the building since 2019. A decision was made to close the building in January and we remain in discussions with the leaseholder about the implications of this."

Report findings, coupled with earthquakes experienced in Rotorua on January 25, led to the decision to close the building to ensure people's safety.

The council then commissioned an urgent detailed seismic assessment of the building, as well as additional ground testing, the written statement said.

Results from the assessments received by the council in April confirmed the building was earthquake-prone at 15 per cent of building standards.

The ground under the Blue Baths could be liquefiable in a large earthquake event.

Rotorua Lakes Council's operations group manager and deputy chief executive, community wellbeing Jocelyn Mikaere said while the assessment was disappointing, the safety of people needed to come first.

"We know the Blue Baths is an important building to the Rotorua community but with the building being assessed as earthquake-prone, we have made the decision to keep its doors closed for now.

"We deem the risk to allow a business to continue to operate from the building, in its current state, as unacceptable.

"We will now be working through our options to determine the future of the Blue Baths."

Fencing has been placed around the building to ensure people's safety but there is no immediate risk to people standing near the building.