FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
21 June 2023
Frank
[FYI request #23106 email]
Tēnā koe Frank
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND MEETINGS ACT 1987: REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
Thank you for your email requesting information under the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). Your request was transferred partially to the Whakatāne District
Council from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council under the LGOIMA. A decision has now been made
on your request pursuant to section 13 of the LGOIMA, and to provide the information requested.
In your request, you asked for information about the building that is intended and/or likely to be
used as the ECC/EOC after a seismic event in the Whakatāne District.
The Whakatāne District Council has a primary Emergency Operations Centre at its Civic Centre,
14 Commerce Street, Whakatāne. The Civic Centre will reopen after seismic strengthening and
refurbishment on 10 July 2023. Based on a series of reports from Holmes Consulting in 2017 and
2018, and a peer review by Aurecon Ltd in January 2019, the Civic Centre should be 90% NBS IL4
when opened. It is acknowledged that use of the building for an EOC following a large earthquake,
will be predicated on a structural engineering inspection before use. This recognises some of the
uncertainty associated with the foundation design and pile depths in the original building. During the
design phase, the Council also took advice from the Kestrel Group and Tonkin and Taylor Ltd. The
Council has a protocol in place with a local engineering company to undertake a post-earthquake
assessment as soon as possible. I have attached the peer review document from Aurecon Ltd, as it
provides a good summary of the assessment process.
If you are not satisfied with my response, you are entitled to request a review by the Ombudsman.
Further information can be obtained from the following website
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Nāku noa, nā
Steph O’Sullivan
CHIEF EXECUTIVE