Loafers Lodge highlights safety concerns in 25 other Wellington buildings

Wellington City Council has found 25 buildings across the capital with similar safety concerns to the Loafers Lodge hostel where five people died in a devastating fire.

Loafers Lodge did not have fire sprinklers as the Building Code does not require them to be retrofitted. It was issued with a Building Warrant of Fitness in March.

Mayor Tory Whanau instructed council officials to identify similar buildings across the city that “we should be concerned about whether they have a compliance certificate or not” in the days after the blaze.

She told Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills 25 buildings have been identified.

“We are working with the owners to notify their residents as soon as possible so that they’re aware and then identify how we can make them safer.”

It’s understood these buildings are multi-level, higher-density buildings of more than two stories which provide commercial accommodation options.

Whanau said the council will also advocate for the Government to make changes to building standards.

“Regardless of the age of the building and how many levels they have, we want the Government to enforce sprinklers.”

Sprinklers would have reduced the impact in certain areas of the Loafers Lodge fire but not necessarily saved lives, Whanau has been told.

The council has plenty of experience when it comes to reviewing potentially problematic buildings.

Council officials reviewed property files to find 113 buildings in Wellington with the same cladding used on the Grenfell Tower in London, where 71 people died in a fire.

They also formed a list of buildings that contained characteristics similar to Statistics House, which partially collapsed in the Kaikōura earthquake, and issued formal letters to 80 owners to undertake targeted damage assessments.

The council has already confirmed just one block out of about 1927 properties in its social housing stock has a sprinkler system, although all other complexes have compliant fire safety systems installed.