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THURSDAY OCTOBER 27, 2022
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OCTOBER 27, 2022
Quake prone list grows By Mary Anne Gill
The sudden eviction of staff from Te Awamutu Museum last week underlines the fact Waipā has three town or village centres with significant and costly earthquake proofing to do over the next decade. The Earthquake Prone Buildings Register, held by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, lists 42 buildings in Cambridge, 19 in Te Awamutu, three in Ōhaupō and one in Kihikihi. Six of the most iconic are the Masonic Hotel, Museum and Water Tower in Cambridge, the Regent Theatre and Spindleys Building in Te Awamutu and the Clock Shop in Ōhaupō. The register provides information about buildings that territorial authorities determined “earthquake prone” and then issued notices which must be displayed in the buildings’ windows. Te Awamutu Museum in Roche Street was not on the register and its fragility was only discovered when the council was looking to replace the roof and windows. The building is on two sections. The older part has been owned by the council (previously Te Awamutu Borough) since 1925 and the borough council bought the two other buildings, designed in 1968 and 1973, in 1977. A new report showed the building was at 20 per cent of national building standard which gave it a Grade D rating. In earthquakes these buildings present a risk to occupants between 10-25 times that expected for a new building.
Around 78 staff across the council’s service delivery and community services team work in the building, but not all at the same time. Chief executive Garry Dyet said the council’s top priority, having evacuated staff, were to ensure taonga was taken care of. The council bought the former Bunnings building for $2.05 million last year earmarking it for Te Ara Wai, a museum to showcase Waipā and New Zealand history with a focus on the New Zealand Land Wars. Its $21 million development relies on philanthropic and council
funding. Roche Street is one of five councilowned buildings or structures which it has till 2032 to complete seismic work. The others are: • Cambridge Museum - Funding has already been approved for a seismic upgrade and reroofing. Work, which will begin early next year, includes bracing the parapet, strengthening the chimney and structure upgrades to the roof structure. • Ōhaupō Memorial Hall – Analysed in three sections, with the back portion of the building
(where it is double storey), the only portion below the 34 per cent new building standard. It has been boarded up with the front portion of the building still in use. • Cambridge Water Tower – It has temporary fencing around the base and the first phase of the upgrade is currently being prepared for a resource consent application. • 90 Mahoe Street, Te Awamutu – It was assessed eight years ago and will be repaired by 2032. Continued on page 2
Te Awamutu’s museum has been evacuated – and Cambridge’s is on the list of buildings which are “earthquake prone”
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Deputy role for Mike By Mary Anne Gill
Rookie Waipā councillor Mike Montgomerie has been fast-tracked into a powerful position as deputy chair of the Strategic Planning and Policy committee. The Maungatautari fifth generation dairy farmer’s elevation was one of the big surprises when mayor Susan O’Regan announced her council committee structure this week. Montgomerie, 52, graduated with a law degree from Otago University and worked in commercial law before returning to the Waikato. He has farmed at Hautapu, Whitehall, Kaipaki and Horahora where he and his wife Luci now milk 400 cows. He served one term on the Cambridge Community Board before putting his name forward for the council at this year’s elections. Three years ago, he completed his master’s degree focusing on environmental and agricultural law from Waikato University and told The News his studies would hold him in good stead for the council and strategy committee job. The father of four sons is a graduate of Fonterra’s governance development programme and represents farmers on the CoOperative Council. Proving the community board breeds leaders, former board chair and second-term councillor Mike Pettit, was appointed Service Delivery committee deputy while Roger Gordon has the same role on the Audit and Risk committee. • See: Susan and Liz roadshow, page 3
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