After completing a preliminary assessment of earthquake risk the Wellington Catholic archdiocese has decided to take a proactive approach and focus on upgrading all its buildings on a prioritised basis, rather than focusing on a single building at a time according to the archdiocese’s administration director Dave Mullin.
The Archbishop of Wellington, John Dew, is the nominal owner of more than 170 parish buildings and more than 220 school buildings with an insured value of $350 million.
Up to 50 church buildings have been labelled earthquake risks. Further detailed assessment is now being carried out on each of these buildings, with all results published online.
Each parish will then decide whether they continue using buildings, with some preferring to make alternative arrangements until strengthening work was done, Mullin said.
The assessment of the earthquake risk for school buildings is assessed through a separate programme run by the Catholic Schools Board.
Catholic Schools Board executive chairman Gary Quirk said five schools in the Wellington archdiocese and the Palmerston North diocese require some work. The cost will be about $10m.
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