Failed inspection: Newly strengthened Waipukurau Library to stay shut

The Waipukurau Memorial Centennial Library will remain closed after CHBDC confirmed the building was potentially earthquake prone, despite a 2016 renovation. Photo / Rachel Wise

The Waipukurau Memorial Centennial Library will remain closed after the Central Hawke's Bay District Council confirmed the building was potentially earthquake prone, despite a 2016 renovation and strengthening.

The building, along with the Waipukurau Memorial Hall, scored less than 20 per cent of the new building standard and will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

CHB District Council temporarily closed the library on May 29, following initial engineering advice that the building had significant structural vulnerabilities.

Chief executive Monique Davidson said the announcement was a further "blow to the wellbeing of the Central Hawke's Bay community".

"Like our community, we have a number of questions and concerns about the position we find ourselves in, following significant investment in both buildings over the last five years for seismic strengthening and renovation," she said.

"We know that our community expects answers, and we will continue to be as transparent and open as we can be with our information, while not jeopardising any future processes to come."

The library will remain closed and the district council will consider options for its future at a meeting in late August.

The memorial hall will remain open, as it does not have structural vulnerabilities of the same nature or extent as the library.

The district council said it was unable to comment on specific details relating to the nature of the findings in the report, based on legal advice.

The council will place a number of restrictions on the memorial hall, including signage notifying occupants of the building's status, limiting the building to 100 occupants and restricting council-run public events to other venues.

Other actions will include increasing evacuation drills and reviewing egress routes from the facility.

"We fully acknowledge that this situation is unacceptable, and we are focused on working to minimise the impact of the ongoing closure of Waipukurau Library and with users of the Waipukurau Memorial Hall," Davidson said.