Hamish Firth: Mt Hobson Group on the changes to the earthquake-prone building system

A significant slash to the number of quake-prone buildings. 

The Government's introducing an Amendment Bill to scrap and replace the New Building Standard – estimated to save building owners more than eight billion dollars. 

It'll see Auckland, Northland, and the Chatham Islands removed from the regime. 

Mt Hobson Group Director Hamish Firth told Kerre Woodham the review has come up with a system that is better balanced, more nuanced, and more proportionate to the risk. 

He says the kneejerk reaction in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake was perhaps right for the time, but it’s probably taken too long to do a review and ensure the system is working.  

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