Quake rating may shake us out

Hawke's Bay Today may vacate its current Hastings site this year if the results of an initial evaluation of its earthquake risk are confirmed.

The newspaper's leased buildings on the Karamu Rd and Queen St site have received just an 8 per cent seismic performance score in an Initial Evaluation Procedure report (IEP) by engineering consultants.



If confirmed, that would mean the seven buildings on the site meet only 8 per cent of the Building Code's New Building Standard. The Building Act requires existing buildings to have a seismic performance of at least 34 per cent of the New Building Standard.

The Hawke's Bay Today buildings are located in Standards New Zealand Earthquake Zone 3, and are listed on the Hastings District Council's Earthquake-Prone Buildings Register.

New Zealand is divided into earthquake risk zones with Zone 1 assessed as the lowest risk of an earthquake occurring while Zone 4, the Southern Alps, is the highest risk. Zone 3 is the most at-risk densely-populated zone.

In a statement released to staff yesterday, Hawke's Bay Today's publisher, APN, said it needs more definitive information before making decisions about the steps it should take to deal with the potential hazard presented by these buildings.

APN has provided a copy of its IEP report to the property owner. The property owner has separate IEPs for each of the seven buildings, and has commissioned detailed engineering reports for all of them, which when available, will lead to further discussions with APN.

In the mean time, APN is looking for potential new premises in Hastings for both its publishing and printing divisions. In the event of a move, which Chief Operation Officer Rick Neville acknowledged was a likely outcome, the publishing and printing divisions would be at separate premises.

While it still occupied the existing buildings, APN would carry out safety audits and take immediate steps including fixing seismic restraints on equipment and furniture, personal safety training, advice on "safe places" within the building, advice on emergency supplies and identification of hazards.

Mr Neville said staff would be kept fully informed, and would be consulted on any decisions which may have a significant impact on them.

Hawke's Bay Today's Napier site on Tennyson St has yet to be evaluated. APN's Waipukurau site on Ruataniwha St, owned by the company, received just a 6 per cent seismic performance score and this building would either be strengthened or the business would relocate. The company was evaluating all its premises across New Zealand in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes.

The oldest section of the Hastings Hawke's Bay Today building which survived the February 3, 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, still stands on the intersection of Karamu Rd and Queen St.

It was then occupied by staff of the Hawke's Bay Tribune newspaper. It featured a top storey with the large motif of the words "Tribune" that came down when the quake struck.

Sailors from the HMS Diomede formed a demolition gang and came to blow up the bottom floor because they thought it was unsafe. But the editor of the time, W C Whitlock, who on February 4 was back at work trying to put a news sheet together, persuaded the gang the bottom floor was safe.

Hawke's Bay historian Michael Fowler said the original printing press building was repaired with funds lent from the Government after the 1931 quake. An application was also made to rebuild the top storey of the original Hawke's Bay Tribune building after the earthquake, but the Government assessor declined lending the funds, as it was "not a high priority".