Billion dollar Wairarapa hoard at risk

TENDERS: The National Core Store in Birdwood St in Featherston where geological samples, which would cost billions to replace, are stored. PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Tenders are being called to complete earthquake proofing at the National Core Store in Birdwood St, Featherston, that houses billions of dollars worth of geological samples on shelves that could collapse in a big shake.

Vikki Carter, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, said the contents of the store includes "tens of thousands" of oil and minerals samples collected from throughout New Zealand over several decades.

"If we had to replace all the samples which have been collected over 50 to 60 years by government agencies and Crown and commercial entities, the replacement cost would be in the billions of dollars."

She said the owner of the building had started earthquake strengthening the structure last year and upgrading the shelves was the final phase of that work.

Ms Carter said the ministry was calling for tenders to earthquake strengthen the shelving and "until the tender process is completed we cannot comment on the total cost or timeframe for the strengthening".

It had been earlier reported the shelves holding the samples were attached to the building frame, and the entire structure could collapse during a large earthquake. Ms Carter said one person works at the National Core Store and the building had escaped damage during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck near Eketahuna on Wellington Anniversary Day on January 20.

"The earthquake risk to the building was discovered as part of MBIE's on-going programme of checking all of its buildings," Ms Carter said.

Crown Minerals created the Featherston facility in 2009, bringing together the contents of core stores in Paeroa, Dunedin, and Christchurch and the Wellington Petroleum core store.