The Reading Cinema Car Park building in Wellington which was damaged after the November 14 earthquake last year. Photo: NZ Herald/ Mark MitchellAround 300 "high-risk" buildings in quake-prone regions will have to be upgraded within a year, the Government announced today. Using emergency powers introduced after the Magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake on November 14, the Government will require all unreinforced masonry facades and parapets to be fixed within the new timeframe. The rules will be limited to regions with a heightened risk of an aftershock following the Kaikoura event - Wellington, Lower Hutt, and Blenheim. Renovations would also be exempted from resource consent and building consent rules as long as the work was overseen by a qualified engineer.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 25, 2017 01:54 UTC