Hudson Brett: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHudson Brett: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3367. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.BRETT HUDSON (National) to the Minister for Building and Housing: What changes is the Government proposing to ensure New Zealand is more resilient to the significant risks we face from earthquakes?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): We have made two significant announcements. The first is about taking a more targeted approach to strengthening older buildings. We have zoned New Zealand into three categories of risk and have varied time frames to upgradeaccordingly. We have also sped up the time frame for strengthening higher risk buildings like schools hospitals and other emergency buildings in medium and high risk areas. The result of these changes will reduce the estimated cost in net present value terms by about $500 million while at the same time retain the safety gains of 330 fewer deaths and 360 fewer serious injuries. Today I have also made announcements about post-emergency building management. We are ensuring that we learn the lessons from the experience after the Christchurch earthquakes so that we manage our building stock as efficiently as possible so that people can get into their buildings quickly and also so that we ensure public safety. This is part of the Government’s broader programme for ensuring we are more resilient to these risks.Brett Hudson: What response has he had to taking a more risk-focused approach to the strengthening requirements for older buildings?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government’s revised approach to earthquake strengthening has been widely welcomed. The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Inc. Local Government New Zealand and the Property Council New Zealand have all endorsed the approach. Fundamental to it is understanding that the level of risk from earthquakes varies very significantly around New Zealand as reinforced by the report today from GNS Science. In this city an MM8 earthquake has got a frequency of once every 120 years and in Auckland of only once in every 7400 years so it is appropriate that our response takes into account that sort of risk profile.Brett Hudson: How do the changes on post-disaster building management announced today learn from the tragic experience of the Christchurch earthquakes?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I think every member of this House can recall the huge tension about post-earthquake management after the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Some owners and tenants of buildings were incredibly frustrated that they were not able to get access and there was confusion about the stickering system. So consistent with the recommendations of the royal commission of inquiry we have changed that system. We are proposing to make changes to the Building Act and I am confident that with these changes were New Zealand—hopefully not—to experience a similar earthquake we would be far better prepared to be able to manage those safety risks and at the same time get people access to their buildings more quickly.Hon Damien O’Connor: What support will the Government offer the business owners in Franz Josef who have been told by the Westland District Council that they can no longer develop their businesses and must over time shift away because of the earthquake risk?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The community of Franz Josef is not different from areas in my own constituency of Nelson where there are landslip and earthquake risks or from the risks in Napier and all over the country. I note that during the 9 years that Labour was in office the member made absolutely no progress in convincing his colleagues—Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a relatively simple question without any political loading in it. It was simply asking the Minister what support will be supplied to the community of Franz Josef. The Minister has not yet addressed the question and has simply begun an attack on the Labour Party.Mr SPEAKER: No the Minister was attempting to. He is certainly not answering it as directly as I might have hoped. I am going to invite the Hon Damien O’Connor to ask the question again but I think I can suspect the answer. I will ask the member to ask the question again.Hon Damien O’Connor: What support will the Government offer to the business owners at Franz Josef who have been told by the Westland District Council that because of a report identifying earthquake risk they may no longer further develop their businesses and must over time move from their current locations?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The issues faced by the community of Franz Josef are not different from those faced all over New Zealand where those risks are being better identified. What I can promise the member is that this Government will give those businesses in Franz Josef a better hearing than they got under the previous Government when representations were made and were ignored.