Wairarapa counts quake toll

SLIPPAGE: Cracks in the Masterton-Castlepoint Rd near the TV mast at Otahoua Hill.

The future of a Masterton apartment block, built to keep men employed during the Great Depression, is in doubt in the wake of this week's earthquake.

A section 124 notice has been imposed on the building, prohibiting access to it, and the tenants have been moved.

But owner, former Masterton mayor Garry Daniell said he is awaiting a definitive report from inspections carried out by district council engineers and this could give the old building a clearance.

Mr Daniell said the building housed eight apartments having started life in 1925 as a project to keep the staff of CE Daniell Ltd employed during the Depression.

Mr Daniell owns numerous other buildings in Masterton and said the Daniell's Building was the only one affected by the earthquake.

When the quake struck about 4pm Monday, he had been at home entertaining his grandchildren who were in the pool. "It was a good old rattle, but we had nothing broken at home.

"I got a call from the civil defence warden who had evacuated the tenants from the Daniell's Building and I drove to Queen Street to see for myself."

Mr Daniell said the most surprising thing for him had been having to field a mountain of calls from people all over the world, who he had dealt with during his mayoralty, and who were wanting to know how the family had fared in the quake.

Masterton District Council engineers, along with a consulting engineer, were busy yesterday with inspections of council-owned properties, bridges and other infrastructure.

Council chief executive Wes ten Hove said Masterton public library had fared well with only a handful of books toppling from shelves and there had been no other reported damage of council-owned buildings including the rec centre.

Bridge checks were taking place throughout the entire district and so far the only infrastructural damage had been cracked roads near Bennett's Hill, east of the town.

Reports of damage to private property include chimneys toppling from older homes north of Masterton, brick retaining walls collapsing and a tile roof on an older home collapsing inwards.

The Regent Theatre - one of the biggest of the older commercial buildings in Masterton - was running three films when the earthquake struck.

Owner Brent Goodwin said the quake, which was the largest he has experienced, sent about eight patrons scurrying for the door, but the rest remained seated.

"And all three projectors kept rolling," he said.

An inspection of the theatre had revealed no structural damage at all.

Wairarapa Civil Defence controller Kevin Tunnell said it was a major shake for the area - the last big one he remembers was back in 1969.

"I'm really surprised and hugely pleased that there's been no injuries reported and certainly no deaths and I just feel that we've probably dodged a bullet."

Aftershocks were continuing to be felt in parts of Wairarapa and Tararua yesterday with a 4.5 quake recorded at 1.24pm centred 15km northeast of Castlepoint at a depth of 77km.