Queensgate Update #1

Hutt City Council

Hutt City Council’s building inspection team met with engineers for Queensgate Shopping Centre (complex) today.

This follows an earlier rapid-assessment of the complex by Queensgate engineers when damage to the north-eastern car park area of the complex was reported to Council after the 14 November 7.8 earthquake. This area is structurally a separate building to the rest of the complex. As a safety precaution Council closed the corners of Waterloo Road and Bloomfield Terrace following this report.

A full assessment has now been completed by Queensgate’s engineers and Council has been informed the north-eastern building of the complex is a safety risk in the event of another earthquake.

A map showing the affected north-eastern building is attached (the red-coloured block). It includes a section of the complex’s car park and Event Cinemas Queensgate.

Council’s engineers have also inspected the complex and confirm the safety risk warrants Council issuing a 129 notice under the Building Act on the affected north-eastern building. The notice requires action to be taken to remove the danger posed by the building.

Hutt City Council’s Chief Executive Tony Stallinger says, “Public safety is paramount. Our current advice is that the best way to minimise risk to the public is to demolish the building which is part of the Queensgate Shopping Centre.

“We know this will inconvenience the public and impact on business. However, the likelihood of significant damage in another earthquake is high. Our number one priority is to ensure people are safe and lives are not put at risk.

“Safety has been a priority for both Council and Queensgate and we have been working closely together since the earthquake. We will continue to work together to ensure the affected building is demolished with as little disruption as possible and safety is maintained at all times.”

Because of the height of the affected Queensgate building, there is a safety risk for two neighbouring buildings should there be another earthquake: New World Hutt City supermarket and the restaurant, bar and conference area of The Angus Inn hotel.

There are no issues with these neighbouring buildings but because of their location next to the affected Queensgate building they are being evacuated this evening. This decision is based on engineers’ advice.
Extended cordons have also been put in place along Waterloo Road and Bloomfield Terrace. These cordons are represented by the shaded red lines on the attached map.

About 80 shops in the unaffected Queensgate Shopping Centre complex will open tomorrow (Friday 25 November). This area of the complex has been assessed by engineers and is structurally sound and Council has granted a Certificate of Public Use today.

When further information on the timing of demolition of the affected building is available it will be shared with media and updates posted on Council’s website huttcity.govt.nz and Facebook page facebook.com/huttcitycouncil