ICA submission on MBIE building seismic performance consultation (Final 4Mar2013) was submitted to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment on Tues 5 March. The final document was based on discussions with members at the ICA meeting on 12 February and updated to reflect our concerns about two aspects of the Wgtn City Council’s submission to MBIE.
These aspects were:
- WCC supported local authorities having the ability to set higher standards primarily for economic resilience and emergency management (after consultation with the community) – ICA strongly opposes this as economic resilience and emergency management is a public good – and should not be funded by private owners.
- Lack of any reference to the ongoing uncertainty that is created by maintaining a link between the 33% and the New Building Standard.
Clr Ian McKinnon proposed an amendment to address our concerns about the ongoing uncertainty that this part of the submission created, but this was defeated by the Chair’s (Andy Foster’s) casting vote. Clrs Pepperell, Lester, Coughlin, Morrison, Gill and Ritchie support Ian McKinnon’s proposed amendment.
ICA did support much of what the WCC’s submission said – and acknowledges the work Clrs and officials are doing, but ungoing uncertainty for building owners has to be stopped. We cannot rely on public funds accompanying these proposals despite the best intentions of councillors to link higher standards to provision of public funds.
There will be many more discussions on this topic as the submissions are considered by MBIE and legislative changes proposed.
