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Earthquake Prone Building Information

The Building Act divides New Zealand into three seismic risk areas – high, medium and low.

An overview of the system including seismic risk areas and time frames can be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) building website:

What earthquake-prone means

A building, or part of a building, is earthquake prone if it is likely to collapse and cause injury or death, or damage to another property, in a moderate earthquake. A moderate earthquake would generate a third of the level of shaking used to design a new building at the same site.

Earthquake-prone buildings are given an earthquake rating, commonly referred to as a percentage of the New Building Standard (NBS).

Earthquake ratings mean the degree to which the building, or part, meets the seismic performance requirements of the Building Code.

Buildings that achieve less than a third of the new building standard (below 34% New Building Standard) are considered earthquake-prone.

Earthquake-prone building register

If a building is confirmed to be an earthquake-prone building, it is entered into the national register of earthquake-prone buildings.

The register has details about the building and includes details such as the type of earthquake-prone building notice issued, and the time frame for carrying out seismic work.

You can search and view the register on the on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) building website:

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