Christchurch's Catholic diocese has more than 50 properties in Canterbury and the West Coast to be either strengthened, repaired or rebuilt.

About 75 per cent of the strategies have been finalised.

Diocesan financial administrator Paddy Beban said although progress could have been faster, he was "happy where we're at".

Its insurance claims were settled in 2012, but the pool was not sufficient to repair and strengthen all churches.

"It's not so much those that are subject to an insurance claim, it's those that aren't [but are] earthquake-prone. Because of heightened awareness, we need to look at those in the mix too."

Churches at Burwood and St Albans are due to be demolished and up to 12 projects, excluding the historic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, are heritage restorations.

Some parishes will continue to share facilities, while others have officially merged. About 50 parishes have become 30.

"I guess [the share arrangements] are working, but I have to say it isn't as good as being in your own local church," Beban said.

The former St Paul's site in Dallington has been sold and the Burwood church is unlikely to be rebuilt. A church will instead be built in Mairehau.

The Catholic cathedral remains in ruins in Barbadoes St but engineering and geotechnical reports have been sought.

Source

• The Press
• Image: media.independent.com

The Archdiocese of Wellington has made a submission on behalf of all the New Zealand dioceses to the Select Committee considering the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill.

The Bishops fully support of the intent of the legislation which is to improve safety. However they think that more work needs to be done to analyse the impact of the proposals on all.

In a press release issued on 23 April Dew says that the owners of many of the commercial building in the CBD of main centres have good reasons to improve their buildings and many will be able to access the resources that will allow them to do so.

But, he says, Church communities do not have access to the capital needed to achieve all the improvements legislation will require within the timelines proposed. "Left to ourselves the decision is a stark and difficult one."

"With the support of our parishioners, others in the community, and local and central government some buildings will be able to be improved."

"Many of our communities are struggling towards achieving this now he says, but the cost is high."

Dew says that while they the places where people gather must be safe for all, "the balance to be achieved between safety and affordability is the challenge we are currently faced with and the one this Bill attempts to address."

"The challenge is not black and white or easy. It is not about choosing between one priority and another."

"Funds to improve our buildings will have to be specifically raised from our communities. Many of our communities cannot even afford the increased insurance costs on their buildings following the Canterbury events."

"The reality is that there are competing demands and massive need. Church communities that are most likely to be affected by the Bill are small parishes who have an asset in the form of a building but lack the necessary cash-flow to maintain them, let alone support the activities that are the very reason for their existence," Dew says.

He says they look forward to being part of society's wider conversation. As a society we need to ask the following:

• How do we understand risk and safety without it becoming a matter of mere compliance with a legal minimum?
• Does this legislation provide building owners who comply with protection from other legislation where an incident is earthquake related?
• Has government itself found the balance in the way it manages its own buildings and tenancies on our behalf?
• What other assistance can government (central and local) provide to those without the commercial, capital, and taxation levers to respond to the new and increasing demands?
• Should legislation provide more clarity about the policy intent and avoid phrases with multiple meanings like "earthquake prone" so that people understand the issues without it all being left to the technicalities of regulation, code, and standard?
• Have analysts fairly examined the true cost of this legislation for owners that do not have the benefit of cash-flow related to building ownership?
• Has enough care been taken to understand the impact of the provision of initial assessments by councils, when the cost of detailed assessment is beyond the reach of many?
• Should all buildings be required to display notices outlining their seismic status?
• Has the wider social impact of seismic activity been considered? "We have made a submission to the Select Committee considering this Bill.

Source

• Supplied by The New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference
• Image: Marist Messenger

The study will include about 50 churches in Auckland, 11 in Wellington and 29 in Dunedin.

Initially they will use data from 48 unreinforced masonry churches in Canterbury, which suffered damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

The two-year project, funded by the Earthquake Commission, will see scientists from New Zealand, Italy and Portugal develop a seismic vulnerability index for unreinforced masonry churches and historic buildings.
Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Listener.co.nz

As the property manager for the proprietors of 77 schools in the two dioceses, CSBL is managing the seismic assessment and strengthening programme. Continue reading

The Wellington City Council was warned yesterday that its hand may be forced if the building owners failed to act.

Earthquake resilience manager Neville Brown told councillors the preferred step was to work with owners to come up with a solution, but if none could be found the next step was to seek a court order for either strengthening work or demolition.

"If we don't get results, then we might see ourselves going to court to get approval to demolish the building."

Continue reading

An initial evaluation assessment found the 37-year-old St Canice's Catholic Church was only 18 per cent compliant with the New Building Standards, said Father Raymond Soriano.

This gave it a grade E rating, the lowest possible, and meant it was 25-40 times more liable to collapse in a quake than a 100 per cent compliant building.

The parish had decided to continue to hold services at the church, but would leave it closed at other times, said Fr Soriano.