Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes

Contacting the Commission

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Contacts

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has completed its inquiry so can no longer be contacted.

Request a Final Report

The Final Report is released and distributed by the Government. To request a printed copy of the Final Report, or enquire about the Government's response to the Report, please contact the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

NOTE: Hard copies of the complete set of reports, and Volume 6: Canterbury Television Building (CTV), are no longer available. Electronic copies can be downloaded from this website or are available on CD from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Postal Address
PO Box 1473
Wellington 6143

Phone
(+64 4) 901 1499 or
(+64 4) 896 5956

Email: canterburyroyalcommission@dbh.govt.nz

Enquire About Commissions of Inquiry

The Department of Internal Affairs is the government department responsible for supporting Royal Commissions of inquiry. This Inquiry has now concluded its work. Further information on inquiries more generally is available on the Department of Internal Affairs website: Public and Government Inquiries - dia.govt.nz

Bereaved Families

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For Bereaved Families & Seriously Injured

Families in New Zealand, Australia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Israel, Great Britain, Taiwan, USA, Canada, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Ireland and Turkey lost loved ones in the 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquake. Many people also suffered serious injuries.

The Royal Commission has completed its inquiry and delivered all of its Final Report to the Governor-General. At the request of bereaved families, a summary of the CTV section of the Final Report has been translated into Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai. The Final Report and the translations of some of Part Three, Volume 6 are published on this website: Volume 6: Canterbury Television Building (CTV).

Information

To request printed copies of the Final Report, or information about the Government's response to the Report, please contact:  

William Whewell
Building System Performance Branch 
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
email: canterburyroyalcommission@dbh.govt.nz
phone: +64 4 901 8536
street address: 15 Stout Street, Wellington
postal address: PO Box 1473, Wellington 6143

Support

The New Zealand Red Cross manages support groups and activities for families bereaved by the 22 February 2011 earthquake. For more information please contact:

Julie Gaudin
Bereaved Support Coordinator - Recovery
New Zealand Red Cross, Canterbury West Coast Region
email: Julie.Gaudin@redcross.org.nz
Phone: +64 3 339 3755
Street address: 32-34 Birmingham Drive, Christchurch
Postal Address: PO Box 217, Christchurch 8015

Media releases and media contacts

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For the media

The Commission completed its work when it delivered the third and final part of its Final Report on 29 November 2012.

Any media enquiries about the Commission should be directed to the Department of Internal Affairs.

Any media enquiries about the Government's release of the Commission's Final Report should be directed to the Attorney General's office.

Media Contacts

Ben Thomas
Press secretary
Attorney General’s office
Phone: 04 817-9763 
Email: Ben.Thomas@parliament.govt.nz

Media releases 

Covering the hearings

Media education

The impact of media reporting on people bereaved by disaster

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Reporting requirements

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Reporting Requirements

The terms of reference required the Commission to report to the Governor-General on:

(a) any measures necessary or desirable to prevent or minimise the failure of buildings in New Zealand due to earthquakes likely to occur during the lifetime of those buildings; and

(b) the cost of those measures; and

(c) the adequacy of legal and best-practice requirements for building design, construction, and maintenance insofar as those requirements apply to managing risks of building failure caused by earthquakes:

Interim Report

On 10 October 2011 the Commission delivered an interim report with interim recommendations to inform early decision-making on rebuilding and repair work that forms parts of the recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes.

Final Report

The terms of reference allowed a staged approach to the deivery of the final report.

Part One (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) of the final report contains recommendations to inform early decision-making about the central city's recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes. It was delivered  on 29 June 2012 and released by the Government on 23 August 2012.

Part Two (Volume 4) of the final report contains recommendations about earthquake-prone buildings. It was delivered on 10 October 2012 and released by the Government on 7 December 2012.

Part Three (Volumes 5, 6 and 7) was delivered on 29 November 2012. This completed the Commission's final report. It was released by the Government on 10 December 2012.

document-library

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Technical reports

The Commission engaged leading New Zealand and international technical experts to produce technical reports as part of its inquiry into building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes. The Commission is also sourced and reviewed technical reports produced by other organisations.

All these reports are published on this website. This made their contents contestable in the Commission’s hearings. People who lodged an Expression of Interest were be able to refer to these reports when making their submissions.

Title	Author(s)
Department of Building and Housing Technical Investigation Reports	Various
Heritage Earthquake Prone Building Strengthening Cost Study	John Hare, Holmes Consulting Group
The Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm	Associate Professor Jason Ingham, University of Auckland and Professor Michael Griffith, University of Adelaide
Structural Design for Earthquake Resistance: Past, Present and Future	Associate Professor Rajesh Dhakal, University of Canterbury
Stairs and Access Ramps between Floors in Multi-storey Buildings	Des Bull, Holmes Consulting Group
Preliminary Observations from the Christchurch Earthquakes	Structural Engineering Society New Zealand (SESOC)
Foundations on Deep Alluvial Soils	Associate Professor Misko Cubrinovski, University of Canterbury and Ian McCahon, Geotech Consulting
Canterbury Earthquakes Sequence and Implications for Seismic Design Levels	GNS Science
Inelastic Reponse Spectra for the Christchurch Earthquake Records	Professor Emeritus Athol Carr,  University of Canterbury
Briefing material about the general system of building controls prior to 1991 and the current building regulatory system	Department of Building and Housing

DBH Technical Investigation

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DBH technical investigation

As required by the Terms of Reference, the Commission received and took into account the results of a separate technical investigation conducted by the former Department of Building and Housing (DBH) into the failure of the CTV, PGC, Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings. The results of the technical investigation were contested in the Commission's hearings.

More about the DBH technical investigation

Canterbury earthquake building failure

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Canterbury earthquake building failure

On 4 September 2010 the Canterbury region, including Christchurch city, suffered a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Numerous aftershocks followed including the 4.9 magnitude Boxing Day earthquake on 26 December 2010 and the 6.3 magnitude 22 February 2011 earthquake in which 185 died and many people were injured.

The largest loss of life was in the CTV building in Madras Street where 115 people died. A further 18 people died in the Pyne Gould Corporation (PGC) building in Cambridge Terrace and another 36 people were killed in other parts of the central business district (CBD).

The Commission decided the inquiry would include any building within the CBD which failed causing loss of life. As well as the CTV  and PGC buildings, the Commission also investigated The Press building in Cathedral Square, the Link Centre in High Street, the Methodist Church on Durham Street as well as numerous commercial premises on Colombo Street, Cashel Street, Gloucester Street, Hereford Street, Lichfield Street and Manchester Street.

The Commission also widened the inquiry to include any other building in the suburbs which caused loss of life including commercial premises on Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Coleridge Street in Sydenham, Worcester Street in Linwood and a residential property in St Albans.

Further information see: Victims of the quake - February 22, 2011 (Stuff website)*

* Please view our general disclaimer.

Background

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Background information

Canterbury earthquakes building failure
In the 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquake most of the deaths were caused by injuries suffered wholly or partly because of the failure of buildings in the Christchurch city central business district. The Commission's Inquiry was about the failure of these buildings.
What is a Royal Commission?

A Royal Commission is independent from the Government and reports to the Governor-General. The way the inquiry is conducted and the Commission is run is decided by the Chair and other Commissioners. The Government cannot interfere in the direction taken by the inquiry or influence its findings.
Department of Building & Housing technical investigation
The Commission took into consideration the results of a separate technical investigation  conducted by the former Department of Building and Housing.
Useful links

These websites contain useful information about the Canterbury earthquakes.

Approach

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Approach

Notice of Issues
Six principal issues arose under the Commission’s Terms of Reference. The Notice of Issues included detail about each issue.
Inquiry process
The Commission's approach reflected the breadth of the investigation required by the Terms of Reference. 
Discussion papers
To seek further information and comment, the Commission periodically released discussion papers and sought public submissions on them.
Submissions schedule
People who filed an expression of interest were entitled to make submissions to the Commission.
Reporting requirements
We delivered our final report in stages on 29 June 2012, 10 October 2012 and 29 November 2012.

About the Terms of Reference

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About the Terms of Reference

The Commission’s terms of reference were wide ranging and required the Commission to look at two major areas:

1. Buildings in the Christchurch central business district (CBD), an area bounded by the four avenues (Fitzgerald, Deans, Moorhouse and Bealey) and Harper Avenue. We looked specifically at what factors led some buildings to fail severely; why some buildings’ failure caused extensive injury and death, and why buildings differed as to the extent to which they failed and caused injury or death. That  meant looking at, among other things, the characteristics of buildings which may have led to failure (for example, age, location, whether buildings conformed to earthquake risk best practice).

The buildings had to include the CTV building, the Pyne Gould Corporation (PGC) building, the Forsyth Barr building and The Hotel Grand Chancellor building.

We also widened our inquiry to include any other building which caused loss of life including commercial premises on Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Coleridge Street in Sydenham, Worcester Street in Linwood and a residential property in St Albans.

2. The adequacy of current legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction and maintenance of buildings in central business districts in New Zealand.

The Commission did not investigate:

Any questions of liability
The earthquake search and rescue effort
Design, planning or options for rebuilding Christchurch city central business district

Read the Terms of Reference

About Counsel Assisting

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About Counsel Assisting

The role of counsel assisting (lawyers) was to:

Supervise and conduct the investigations, including gathering all relevant information, documentation and interviewing witnesses 
Be a sounding board for the Commission
Establish open communication with all parties and encourage cooperation
Call evidence at the hearings
Carry out other functions as the Commission directs

Stephen Mills QC

Stephen Mills QC holds an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Auckland, where he was awarded a postgraduate scholarship with overseas tenure. He has an LLM degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was awarded the American Trial Lawyers Association Prize in Environmental Law. 

He was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Michigan and has held faculty positions at the University of Auckland, Lewis & Clark, Northwestern School of Law, in Portland, Oregon, and the universities of Western Ontario and Dalhousie in Canada.

He is a former chairperson of Chapman Tripp, where he was a senior litigation partner in its Auckland office.  He joined the independent bar in 2002 and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2007. He is a member of Shortland Chambers.

He is a member of the Rules Committee and is on the Council of the New Zealand Bar Association.  He is the President Elect of the Association.

His principal areas of practice are:

Commercial litigation and arbitration
Public law
Building and construction
Defamation and media
Trade Practices

Mark Zarifeh

Mark Zarifeh is a partner at Raymond Donnelly, a Christchurch law firm which has held the Crown Warrant since 1911. He has over 24 years experience as a Crown Prosecutor which has included appearing for the Crown: 

In numerous trials in both the District and High Courts
On appeals to the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Privy Council
In High Court judicial review proceedings
Before Disciplinary Tribunals and Parole Board Hearings
Prosecuting as a member of the Serious Fraud Office prosecutor's panel since 1997

Marcus Elliott

Marcus Elliott has a specific focus on representing the interests of victims' families. He is a barrister at Canterbury Chambers in Christchurch, specialises in civil and commercial litigation and public law and has acted in claims in contract, tort, the Fair Trading Act and applications for judicial review. He has acted in leaky homes cases involving complex building and construction issues. He also represented some families at the inquests into the deaths of people who died in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Marcus has written and delivered a number of papers to the legal profession on civil remedies and advocacy issues. He is a member of the Council of the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Law Society and of the faculty of the NZLS Litigation Skills Course. He is former chair of the Board of Community Law Canterbury. He has lectured in contract and company law and tutored torts at the University of Canterbury. In addition to his legal qualifications, he has an MBA.

 

Useful links

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Useful links

The following websites contain useful information about the Canterbury earthquakes. The inclusion of links to these sites does not imply any endorsement of the linked website or its content or provider.

Canterbury Earthquake
Response information about the 22 February 2011 earthquake. This site is managed by Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council as part of Civil Defence Emergency Management.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA)
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was set up by the Government to lead recovery work following the devastating earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011.
Christchurch City Council
As the second largest Council in the country, Christchurch City Council is responsible for ensuring that the 368,900 residents are well governed and provided for.
Department of Building and Housing
Information for people who have been affected by the earthquakes in Canterbury.
Earthquake Commission
If your home, contents or land have been damaged by the Canterbury or Christchurch earthquakes (or aftershocks) and you have current home and/or contents insurance, you should lodge a claim with the Earthquake Commission (EQC).
Environment Canterbury
This page contains links to information about the 22 February and 13 June 2011 Christchurch earthquakes and contact details for Environment Canterbury.
Love Christchurch Made
The Canterbury earthquakes have been disruptive to many businesses. Love Christchurch Made has been developed as a promotional tool for these businesses to advertise their products and services and their new locations if they have had to move.
Rebuild Christchurch
This is a non profit independent website provided to serve the residents of Christchurch suffering after both the September earthquake, the February earthquake and all the aftershocks between. We are volunteers that are passionate to see Christchurch rebuilt right.
Recover Canterbury
This website provides practical advice and information for business recovery following the Canterbury earthquakes.
Standards New Zealand
New Zealand standards and earthquakes FAQs.
Stronger Christchurch
The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild is being carried out by the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT), an alliance between Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), City Care, Downer Construction, Fletcher Construction, Fulton Hogan, and MacDow New Zealand.

System of Building Controls

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System of Building Controls

The Department of Building and Housing provided the Commission with the following briefing material about the general system of building controls prior to 1991 and the current building regulatory system.

1. Letter from the Department of Building and Housing to the Royal Commission, 27^th May 2011 (.PDF) 493kb

2. Briefing to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into building failure caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes: The building regulatory framework, May 2011 (.PDF) 522kb

Includes information about:

The building regulatory system
The development of seismic design and standards
Building Act tools for upgrading structural performance of buildings
The post earthquake assessment of buildings
The Department’s investigation into the building collapses

3. Building Act Review Cabinet Papers (.PDF) 1.3mb

Minute of Decision
Building Act review – further proposed amendments
Building Act review 1: Overview of reform proposals
Building Act review 2: Delivering accountability in the residential construction sector
Building Act review 3: Stepped consenting
Building Act review 4: Exemptions from requirement to have a building consent
Building Act review 5: Delivering building regulation
Appendix 1: Regulatory Impact Assessment

4. Regulations Defining Moderate Earthquakes (.PDF) 432kb

Building (Specified Systems, Change of use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005.

5. Regulation of the Engineering Profession (.PDF) 857kb

Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002
Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Rules (No 2) 2002

6. Regulation of Registered Architects (.PDF) 889kb

Registered Architects Act 2005
Registered Architects Rules 2006

7. Exhibit A and Appendix A to briefing to Royal Commission of Inquiry into building failure caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes about the building regulatory framework, May 2011 (.PDF) 259kb

Diagram of the relationship between building regulation, structural design and standards and building methods since the Napier earthquake (referred to in paragraphs 3.3 and 4.5 of the Briefing to Royal Commission of Inquiry into building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes about the building regulatory framework). 

8. Appendix A, Section 2: The building regulatory system (.PDF) 2.9mb

Performance-based Building Regulatory Systems, Principles and Experiences: A Report of the Inter-jurisdictional Regulatory Collaboration Committee February 2010. Brian J. Meacham, Editor

9. Appendix A, Section 3: The development of structural design and standards (.PDF) 273kb

Overview timeline of Standards relating to determination of loads and methods of determining loads, compiled by Standards New Zealand 2011.

10. Appendix A, Section 4: Building Act tools for the upgrading of the structural performance of buildings

11. Appendix A, Section 5: rapid assessment of buildings during a state of emergency (.PDF) 1.2mb

Building Safety Evaluation During a State of Emergency – Guidelines for Territorial Authorities, New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, August 2009.

12. Appendix A, Section 6: The Department’s investigation into the building collapses (.PDF) 258kb

Terms of Reference for the Technical Investigation into the Performance of Buildings in the Christchurch CBD in the 22 February Christchurch Aftershock.

Submissions

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Submissions Schedule

As part of our consultation process, people who filed an expression of interest in the Commission's inquiry were able to make submissions on technical reports received by the Commission. We also periodically invited other parties to make submissions, for example, about discussion papers that we produced.

The evidence and submissions we received were published in the Document Library on this website, unless any party satisfied the Commission that there were compelling reasons not to do so.

Submission deadline	Subject	Description	Publication Title
CLOSED	Roles and responsibilities	Key issues central and local government and the building and construction industry face when developing and enforcing legal and best-practice requirements for buildings in earthquakes.	Discussion paper: Roles and responsibilities
CLOSED	Building management after earthquakes	Systemic matters that may lead to problems in the safety management of buildings after earthquakes	Discussion paper: Building management after earthquakes
CLOSED	Training and organisation of the engineering profession	The education of engineers Training and in particular requirements for developing competence towards registering as a Chartered Professional Engineer The role played by engineering professional societies	Discussion paper: Training and education of engineers and organisation of the engineering profession
CLOSED	Seismicity	New Zealand's geological setting, the seismological model for New Zealand and Canterbury and nature and severity of the Canterbury earthquakes.	Canterbury Earthquakes Sequence and Implications for Seismic Design Levels
CLOSED	Soil and ground conditions	Soils in the Christchurch CBD, their susceptibility to liquefaction, appropriate foundation structure systems and land improvement measures	Foundations on Deep Alluvial Soils
CLOSED	Unreinforced masonry buildings	The legal requirements for earthquake-prone buildings, unreinforced masonry buildings, their seismic strengthening and the respective roles of central and local government	The Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm
CLOSED	PGC building	All issues relevant to the failure of the PGC building in the earthquake of 22 February 2011 and the substantial loss of life and injury that resulted.	Investigation into the Collapse of the Forsyth Barr Building Stairs on 22^nd February 2011
CLOSED	Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings	All issues relevant to the failure of the Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings in the earthquake	Investigation into the Collapse of the Forsyth Barr Building Stairs on 22^nd February 2011 Performance of the Hotel Grand Chancellor in the Earthquake of 22 February 2011
CLOSED	New Building Technologies	Alternative technologies that can be used to improve the seismic performance of buildings including base isolation, precast structural seismic systems (PRESSS) and non-tearing floor systems	Base Isolation and Damage-Resistant Technologies for Improved Seismic Performance of Buildings
CLOSED	Engineering	The training of engineers and organisation of the engineering profession	Standards and Regulation for Building Construction in New Zealand
CLOSED	Building Failure and Safety Evaluation	The manner in which issues of earthquake risk have been dealt with in the relevant planning documents of Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council	Management of Earthquake Risk by Canterbury Regional Council and Christchurch City Council - Obligations and Responses under RMA
CLOSED	Building Assessment After Earthquakes	The process of and authority for building assessment after earthquakes (stickering/placarding).	Report into Building Safety Evaluation Processes in the Central Business District Following the 4 September 2010 earthquakes Building Evaluation Transition Team - Processes Used and Lessons Learnt Following the Darfield Earthquake of 4 September 2010 Building Safety Evaluation Following the Canterbury Earthquakes Independent Review of the Response to the Canterbury Earthquake, 4 September 2010 The Civil Defence Emergency Management Framework and Response to the 22 February Christchurch earthquake
CLOSED	Design of Conventional Structural Systems Following the Canterbury Earthquakes	Interim design advice from SESOC for designers in advance of potential code changes, in order to ‘future-proof’ new building designs, to the extent practical	SESOC Practice Note - Design of Conventional Structural Systems Following Canterbury Earthquakes
CLOSED	CTV Building	All issues relevant to the failure of the CTV building in the 22 February 2011 earthquake	Results of the Department of Building and Housing's technical investigation into the CTV building

Notice of issues

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Notice of Issues

Six principal issues arose under the Commission’s terms of reference. Public Expressions of Interest were sought from parties interested in these issues. We also commissioned technical reports on a number of them. These reports were independently peer reviewed by eminent experts in the relevant fields and then published on this website. 

Issue 1 – Seismicity

a. New Zealand’s geological setting
b. Seismological model for New Zealand, and in particular for Canterbury
c. The nature and severity of the Canterbury earthquakes
d. Geotechnical knowledge and its implications for foundation types
e. Conditions likely to give rise to liquefaction

Issue 2 – Inquiry into buildings in the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD)

a. The Royal Commission is required to establish a reasonably representative sample of buildings in the CBD and to then use this sample as the basis for answering a number of very significant questions that arise from the earthquakes.  This representative sample will include the Canterbury Television (or CTV) building, the Pyne Gould Corporation (or PGC) building, the Forsyth Barr building and The Hotel Grand Chancellor building, and:
- Any building within the CBD which failed and caused the death of anyone
- A selection of buildings which withstood the Canterbury earthquakes
- A sufficient range of buildings to cover:
  - the different structural types and forms of buildings in the CBD
  - the different construction materials used
  - the design and availability of safety features including escape routes, such as stairs
  - the different dates of design and construction, including heritage buildings
  - buildings that had been retro-fitted to improve earthquake resistance
  - buildings which had been identified as “earthquake-prone” on or before 4 September 2010
  - different foundation types and underlying soils
  - different types of building usage
- Buildings which will enable the Royal Commission to determine the effectiveness of both damage assessments made and remedial work carried out between the 4 September 2010 and the 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquakes
b. In relation to this sample, the principal questions the Royal Commission will then address are:
- Why did some buildings fail severely, in some cases causing injury and death, while others did not
- Whether there were particular features, or patterns of features, that contributed to the failure of buildings
- The nature of foundations and the soils on which these buildings were located and how these affected the performance of the buildings
c. In relation to all or some of the buildings inquired into under paragraph (b) above (but including the four specified buildings):
- Whether those buildings complied with any applicable earthquake risk and other legal and best-practice requirements, both when designed and constructed, and on or before 4 September 2010
- Whether, on or before 4 September 2010, those buildings had been identified as “earthquake-prone” or were the subject of measures to make the buildings less susceptible to earthquake risk
d. In relation to the buildings inquired into under (c) above, the nature and effect of any assessment of them, and of any remedial work carried out on them, after the 4 September 2010, or after the 26 December 2010, but before the 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquakes
e. The policies adopted by the relevant authorities in undertaking the assessments made of buildings after 4 September and 26 December 2010

Issue 3 – Inquiry into legal and best-practice requirements

The adequacy of the current legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings in CBDs in New Zealand to address the known risk of earthquakes and, in particular:

a. The extent to which the knowledge and measurement of seismic events has been used in setting legal and best-practice requirements for earthquake-risk management in respect of building design, construction and maintenance
b. The legal requirements for buildings that are “earthquake-prone” under section 122 of the Building Act 2004 and associated regulations, including:
- The buildings that are, and those that should be, treated by the law as “earthquake-prone”
- Existing buildings that are, or should be, required by law to meet the seismic standards for the design, construction and maintenance of new buildings
- The enforcement of legal requirements
c. The requirements for existing buildings that are not “earthquake-prone” and do not meet current legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction and maintenance of new buildings, including whether, to what extent, and over what period, they should be required to meet those requirements
d. The roles of central government, local government, the building and construction industry, and other elements of the private sector in developing and enforcing legal and best-practice requirements
e. The legal and best-practice requirements for the assessment of, and for remedial work carried out on, buildings after any earthquake, having regard to the lessons from the Canterbury earthquakes
f. How the conclusions reached in relation to paragraphs a-e above compare with the position in any other relevant countries

Issue 4 – Change of New Zealand Design Standards/Codes of Practice over time

Changes in design philosophy for earthquake resistance as reflected in New Zealand design standards over the past 75 years, having regard to:

a. The levels of seismicity that have been used to calculate the required design strengths and the deflections associated with the design level earthquake
b. The methods used to determine design forces and the methods used to calculate the strength required to resist them
c. The assumptions made regarding the stiffness of building elements and the calculation of displacements induced by the design earthquake
d. The design principles used to calculate deflections caused by a major earthquake, without collapsing or endangering life

Issue 5 – Development of technical expertise in the design and construction of seismic resistant buildings

a. Academic and in-practice training of seismic engineers
b. Research to advance seismic performance
c. The application of technical knowledge in setting legislative and regulatory requirements

Issue 6 – Future measures

New buildings

a. Necessary changes to current design practice
b. Consideration of new technologies, including their cost

Existing buildings

a. New and recent methods of retro-fitting
b. The appropriate level of compliance with new building standards or alternative performance criteria, taking into account the cost of compliance

How the Commission will work

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Inquiry Process

The Commission developed and implemented an approach to the investigation of the principal issues, which has the elements discussed below.

The approach reflected the breadth of the investigation required by the Terms of Reference, and the fact that, unlike some other investigations that have been referred to commissions of inquiry, this Inquiry was not one that could sensibly have been conducted simply by inviting submissions from interested parties, considering what they might be prepared to tell the Commission (supplemented by appropriate questioning by Counsel assisting) and make findings based solely on the evidence given at a hearing.

That approach would have risked some relevant issues being covered incompletely, or even not at all. There would have been a risk also that the Commission would not have been presented with differing opinions on some important issues, because in the absence of clear disputes (arising plainly or by necessary implication from the Terms of Reference itself) persons having rival opinions might not have been aware of what others were saying to the Commission.

The Commission accordingly set out to ensure that it received, as far as possible, appropriate advice on all of the relevant issues. On the principal issues that it identified, the Royal Commission:

(a) commissioned advice from people and organisations within New Zealand who had appropriate expertise;

(b) adopted and implemented a policy that the advice received would generally be peer reviewed by eminent overseas experts;

(d) called for expressions of interest in relation to each of the identified principal issues;

(e) in relation to each of the issues, identified persons or organisations who, while not filing expressions of interest, were nevertheless likely to have information that would assist the work of the Commission;

(f) called for evidence and submissions on the principal issues both from those who lodged expressions of interest and those others whom the Commission considered had relevant contributions to make;

(g) published on this website the evidence and submissions received in relation to the principal issues; and

(h) conducted hearings, and heard evidence on the issues as appropriate.

The approach outlined brought most aspects of the Inquiry into line with the approach that was required in relation to the four named buildings in the representative sample of buildings in the Christchurch CBD. In the case of those buildings, the Terms of Reference envisaged that the Commission would receive and take into account the results of the separate technical investigation  conducted by the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) into the failure of the CTV, PGC, Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings.

The DBH instructed consultants to report on the failure of each of those buildings, and also received a report from an expert panel appointed to review the consultants’ reports. The Commission published these reports on this website and sought its own advice on them. While the  Commission expected that the results of the DBH technical investigation would be of significant assistance, we formed our own views, and the results of the technical investigation were contestable in the Commission’s hearings process.  

Hearings Schedule

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Schedule of Hearings

The Commission obtained a large amount of information from various sources. As part of our inquiry process, we conducted public hearings at which some of this information was presented as evidence. Evidence received in other forms (other than witnesses at hearings) was still considered by the Commissioners.   

Dates	Subject
17-20 October  2011	Seismicity
25 October 2011	Soil and ground conditions
7-15 November 2011	Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings and earthquake-prone policies
28 November - 6 December 2011	PGC building
12 December 2011	593 Colombo Street (Southern Ink)
13 December 2011	90 Coleridge Street (Classique Furniture)
14 December 2011	7 Riccarton Road (bookshop)
15 December 2011	391/391A Worcester Street (Wicks Fish Shop)
17-18 January 2012	Hotel Grand Chancellor building
23 January 2012	116 Lichfield Street (Ruben Blades)
24 January 2012	89/89A, 91 & 93 Cashel Street (Cashel Mall)
25 January 2012	194 Hereford Street (Joe's Garage)
26 January 2012	200-204 Manchester Street (Iconic Bar)
30 January 2012	32 Cathedral Square (The Press)
31 January 2012	309 Durham Street (Methodist Church)
1-2 February 2012	603 and 605-613 Colombo Street
13 February 2012	595 & 595A Colombo Street
14 February 2012	601/601A Colombo Street
15 February 2012	194 Gloucester Street (Winnie Bagoes) & 246 High Street
16 February 2012	382 Colombo Street
23-24 February 2012	Forsyth Barr building
27 February 2012	43 Lichfield Street
28 February 2012	265-271 Manchester Street (173 Gloucester Street)
29 February 2012	753-759 Colombo Street
1 March 2012	738 Colombo Street
6 March 2012	Submission from Srecko Cvetanov
12-15 March 2012	New building technologies
15 March 2012	738 Colombo Street (continued) and Hotel Grand Chancellor (continued)
25 June - 16 August 2012	CTV building
3 -4 September 2012	Building management after earthquakes
5-7 September 2012	CTV building closing submissions
10 September 2012	Engineering profession
11-12 September 2012	Roles and responsibilities

Hearing Beginning 7 November 2011

2017-06-22T09:14:31Z

Hearing About Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Buildings and Earthquake-Prone Policies

In the weeks beginning 7 and 14 November 2011 the Commission conducted a public hearing about unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings and earthquake-prone policies. It considered evidence and submissions about:

3b The legal requirements for buildings that are 'earthquake-prone' under section 122 of the Building Act 2004 and associated regulations, including -

(a) the buildings that are, and those that should be, treated by the law as 'earthquake-prone';

(b) the extent to which existing buildings are, and should be, required by law to meet requirements for the design, constructions, and maintenance of new buildings; and

3c The requirements for buildings that are not, as a matter of law, 'earthquake-prone', and do not meet current legal and best practice requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of new buildings, including whether, to what extent, and over what period they should be required to meet those requirements

3d The roles of central government, local government, the building and construction industry, and other elements of the private sector in developing and enforcing legal and best-practice requirements

3f How the matters specified in subparagraphs (b) to (d) compare with any similar matters in other countries.

Timetable

Date	Time	Topic	Presenter
		Part 1: Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Buildings
7 November	10am	Opening Statement	Counsel Assisting the Commission Stephen Mills QC
	11.30am	BREAK
	11.45am	Presentation of two reports Performance of Unreinforced Masonry in the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm and The Performance of Earthquake Strengthened URM Buildings in the Christchurch CBD in the 22 February 2011 Earthquake: Addendum Report.	Report co-author Associate Professor Jason Ingham, Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, the University of Auckland
	1pm	LUNCH
	1.45pm	Associate Professor Jason Ingham (continued)
	3.15pm	BREAK
	3.30pm	Associate Professor Jason Ingham (continued)
	4.25pm	Presentation of submission by New Zealand Historic Places Trust Pouhere Taonga (NZHPT)	Bruce Chapman, Chief Executive, NZHPT
	5pm	ADJOURN
8 November	9.35am	Presentation of Lizundia peer review of Jason Ingham's report (by video link)	Peer reviewer Bret Lizundia, consulting engineer, Rutherford & Chekene, San Francisco
	12.15pm	Presentation of Turner peer review of Jason Ingham's report (by video link)	Peer reviewer Fred Turner, structural engineer, Sacramento, California
	1.05pm	LUNCH
	1.35pm	Expert panel	Jason Ingham, Bret Lizundia and Fred Turner
	2.35pm	BREAK
	2.45 pm	Presentation of submission by ICOMOS NZ	Jeremy Salmond, architect, Ian Bowman, architect, Bruce Petry, architect and David Reynolds, heritage consultant
	3.30pm	ADJOURN
9 November	9.30am	Presentation of submission by Dr David Hopkins (by video link)	Dr David Hopkins
	10.45am	Presentation of submission by Property Council New Zealand (by video link)	Daniel Newman, Policy Director, Property Council New Zealand
	11.15am	Question and answer session	Dr David Hopkins
	11.30am	BREAK
	11.50am	Presentation of submission by Dunning Thornton Consultants (by video link)	Adam Thorton, Dunning Thornton Consultants
	12.25pm	Presentation of submission by Joe Arts	Joe Arts, Christchurch CBD property owner
	12.50pm	Question and answer session	Dr David Hopkins
	1pm	LUNCH
	2.15pm	Presentation of submission by the Department of Building and Housing	Suzanne Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive, Sector Policy, and Mike Stannard, Chief Engineer
	3.30pm	BREAK
	3.45pm	Presentation by the Department of Building and Housing (continued)
		ADJOURN
10 November		No hearings
11 November		No hearings
		Part 2: Earthquake-Prone Policies
14 November 2011	10am	Presentation by Gisborne District Council	Ian Petty, Building Services Manager
		Presentation by Napier City Council	Neil Taylor, Chief Executive
	11.30	BREAK
	11.45am	Presentation of submission by Christchurch City Council	Bob Parker, Mayor, Peter Mitchell, General Manager, Regulation and Democracy Services and Steve McCarthy, Environmental Policy and Approvals Manager
	1pm	LUNCH
	1.45pm	Presentation of submission by Christchurch City Council	Peter Mitchell, General Manager, Regulation and Democracy Services and Steve McCarthy, Environmental Policy and Approvals Manager
	2.30pm	Presentation of submission by Wellington City Council	Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor, John Scott, Manager, Building Consent and Licensing Services and George Skimming, Director of Sector Projects
	3.15pm	BREAK
	3.20pm	Presentation of submission by Auckland Council	Patrick Cummuskey, Special Projects Officer - Earthquake-Prone Buildings, Bob DeLeur, Building Policy, Training and Resolution and Dr Marion Irwin, Hazards Manager, Civil Defence and Emergency Management
	3.45pm	BREAK
	4pm	Presentation by Dunedin City Council	Neil McLeod, Chief Building Officer and Glen Hazelton, Policy Planner (Heritage)
	5pm	ADJOURN
15 November	9.30am	Presentation of submission by Local Government New Zealand	Frances Sullivan, Senior Policy Analyst and Eugene Bowen, Chief Executive
	10.15am	Panel Discussion	Ian Petty, John Scott, George Skimming, Peter Mitchell, Steve McCarthy, Patrick Cummuskey, Bob DeLeur, Dr Marion Irwin, Glen Hazelton,  Neil McLeod, Frances Sullivan, Suzanne Townsend and Dave Kelly (Deputy Chief Executive, Department of Building and Housing)
	1pm	BREAK
	3pm	New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE)	Rob Jury,Technical Director and Manager of BECA Wellington Structural Team representing NZSEE
	4.30pm	END OF HEARING

Submissions

Read all received submissions

RFI Reponses

Read Council letters about their Unreinforced Masonry (URM) and earthquake-prone building policies

Related Reports

Briefing: The Building Regulatory Framework, Department of Building and Housing

Structural Design for Earthquake Resistance, Associated Professor Rajesh P. Dhakal, University of Canterbury

The Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm, Associate Professor Jason Ingham, Auckland University and Professor Michael Griffith, Adelaide University

The Performance of Earthquake Strengthened URM Buildings in the Christchurch CBD in the 22 February 2011 Earthquake: Addendum Report, Professor Jason Ingham and Professor Michael Griffith, October 2011

Review of The Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm by Fred Turner, structural engineer, from Sacramento, California

Review of the Report Entitled The Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings in the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquake Swarm by Bret Lizundia, Principal, Rutherford & Chekene, San Francisco 

Terms of reference

2017-06-22T09:14:31Z

Terms of Reference

These Terms of Reference and associated documents may be downloaded below in either a Microsoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version or view HTML version of text below:

Download the Terms of Reference DOC, 8 pages, 50kb

Download the Terms of Reference PDF, 8 pages, 20kb

Terms of Reference Modifications

7 February 2011

Download the Terms of Reference (modifications) DOC, 2 pages, 75kb

Download the Terms of Reference (modifications) PDF, 2 pages, 11kb

23 October 2011

Download the Terms of Reference (modifications) DOC, 2 pages, 27kb

Download the Terms of Reference (modifications) PDF, 2 pages, 81 kb

Jurisdiction decision

Download decision of Chairperson Justice Cooper
in response to an application by Srecko (Alec) Cvetanov DOC, 5 pages, 78kb

Download decision of Chairperson Justice Cooper
in response to an application by Srecko (Alec) Cvetanov PDF, 5 pages, 23kb

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith:

To The Honourable MARK LESLIE SMITH COOPER, of Auckland, Judge of the High Court of New Zealand; Sir RONALD POWELL CARTER, KNZM, of Auckland, Engineer and Strategic Adviser; and RICHARD COLLINGWOOD FENWICK, of Christchurch, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering:

GREETING:

Recitals

WHEREAS the Canterbury region, including Christchurch City, suffered an earthquake on 4 September 2010 and numerous aftershocks, for example—

(a) the 26 December 2010 (or Boxing Day) aftershock; and
(b) the 22 February 2011 aftershock:

WHEREAS approximately 180 people died of injuries suffered in the 22 February 2011 aftershock, with most of those deaths caused by injuries suffered wholly or partly because of the failure of certain buildings in the Christchurch City central business district (CBD), namely the following 2 buildings:

(a) the Canterbury Television (or CTV) Building; and
(b) the Pyne Gould Corporation (or PGC) Building:

WHEREAS other buildings in the Christchurch City CBD, or in suburban commercial or residential areas in the Canterbury region, failed in the Canterbury earthquakes, causing injury and death:

WHEREAS a number of buildings in the Christchurch City CBD have been identified as unsafe to enter following the 22 February 2011 aftershock, and accordingly have been identified with a red card to prevent persons from entering them:

WHEREAS the Department of Building and Housing has begun to investigate the causes of the failure of 4 buildings in the Christchurch City CBD (the 4 specified buildings), namely the 2 buildings specified above, and the following 2 other buildings:

(a) the Forsyth Barr Building; and
(b) the Hotel Grand Chancellor Building:

WHEREAS it is desirable to inquire into the building failures in the Christchurch City CBD, to establish—

(a) why the 4 specified buildings failed severely; and
(b) why the failure of those buildings caused such extensive injury and death; and
(c) why certain buildings failed severely while others failed less severely or there was no readily perceptible failure:

WHEREAS the results of the inquiry should be available to inform decision-making on rebuilding and repair work in the Christchurch City CBD and other areas of the Canterbury region:

Appointment and order of reference

KNOW YE that We, reposing trust and confidence in your integrity, knowledge, and ability, do, by this Our Commission, nominate, constitute, and appoint you, The Honourable MARK LESLIE SMITH COOPER, Sir RONALD POWELL CARTER, and RICHARD COLLINGWOOD FENWICK, to be a Commission to inquire into and report (making any interim or final recommendations that you think fit) upon (having regard, in the case of paragraphs (a) to (c), to the nature and severity of the Canterbury earthquakes)—

Inquiry into sample of buildings and 4 specified buildings

(a) in relation to a reasonably representative sample of buildings in the Christchurch City CBD, including the 4 specified buildings as well as buildings that did not fail or did not fail severely in the Canterbury earthquakes—

(i) why some buildings failed severely; and
(ii) why the failure of some buildings caused extensive injury and death; and
(iii) why buildings differed in the extent to which—

(A) they failed as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes; and
(B) their failure caused injury and death; and

(iv) the nature of the land associated with the buildings inquired into under this paragraph and how it was affected by the Canterbury earthquakes; and

(v) whether there were particular features of a building (or a pattern of features) that contributed to whether a building failed, including (but not limited to) factors such as—

(A) the age of the building; and
(B) the location of the building; and
(C) the design, construction, and maintenance of the building; and
(D) the design and availability of safety features such as escape routes; and

(b) in relation to all of the buildings inquired into under paragraph (a), or a selection of them that you consider appropriate but including the 4 specified buildings,—

(i) whether those buildings (as originally designed and constructed and, if applicable, as altered and maintained) complied with earthquake-risk and other legal and best-practice requirements (if any) that were current—

(A) when those buildings were designed and constructed; and
(B) on or before 4 September 2010; and

(ii) whether, on or before 4 September 2010, those buildings had been identified as “earthquake-prone” or were the subject of required or voluntary measures (for example, alterations or strengthening) to make the buildings less susceptible to earthquake risk, and the compliance or standards they had achieved; and

(c) in relation to the buildings inquired into under paragraph (b), the nature and effectiveness of any assessment of them, and of any remedial work carried out on them, after the 4 September 2010 earthquake, or after the 26 December 2010 (or Boxing Day) aftershock, but before the 22 February 2011 aftershock; and

Inquiry into legal and best-practice requirements

(d) the adequacy of the current legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings in central business districts in New Zealand to address the known risk of earthquakes and, in particular—

(i) the extent to which the knowledge and measurement of seismic events have been used in setting legal and
best-practice requirements for earthquake-risk management in respect of building design, construction,
and maintenance; and
(ii) the legal requirements for buildings that are “earthquake-prone” under section 122 of the Building Act 2004 and associated regulations, including—

(A) the buildings that are, and those that should be, treated by the law as “earthquake-prone”; and
(B) the extent to which existing buildings are, and should be, required by law to meet requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of new buildings; and
(C) the enforcement of legal requirements; and

(iii) the requirements for existing buildings that are not, as a matter of law, “earthquake-prone”, and do not meet current legal and best-practice requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of new buildings, including whether, to what extent, and over what period they should be required to meet those requirements; and
(iv) the roles of central government, local government, the building and construction industry, and other elements
of the private sector in developing and enforcing legal and best-practice requirements; and
(v) the legal and best-practice requirements for the assessment of, and for remedial work carried out on, buildings after any earthquake, having regard to lessons from the Canterbury earthquakes; and
(vi) how the matters specified in subparagraphs (i) to (v) compare with any similar matters in other countries; and

Other incidental matters arising

(e) any other matters arising out of, or relating to, the foregoing that come to the Commission’s notice in the course of its inquiries and that it considers it should investigate:

Matters upon or for which recommendations required

And, without limiting the order of reference set out above, We declare and direct that this Our Commission also requires you to make both interim and final recommendations upon or for—

(a) any measures necessary or desirable to prevent or minimise the failure of buildings in New Zealand due to earthquakes likely to occur during the lifetime of those buildings; and
(b) the cost of those measures; and
(c) the adequacy of legal and best-practice requirements for building design, construction, and maintenance insofar as those requirements apply to managing risks of building failure caused by earthquakes:

Exclusions from inquiry and scope of recommendations

But, We declare that you are not, under this Our Commission, to inquire into, determine, or report in an interim or final way upon the following matters (but paragraph (b) does not limit the generality of your order of reference, or of your required recommendations):

(a) whether any questions of liability arise; and
(b) matters for which the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, or both are responsible, such as design, planning, or options for rebuilding in the Christchurch City CBD; and
(c) the role and response of any person acting under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002, or providing any emergency or recovery services or other response, after the 22 February 2011 aftershock:

Definitions

And, We declare that, in this Our Commission, unless the context otherwise requires,—

best-practice requirements: includes any New Zealand, overseas country’s, or international standards that are not legal requirements
Canterbury earthquakes: means any earthquakes or aftershocks in the Canterbury region—
(a) on or after 4 September 2010; and
(b) before or on 22 February 2011
Christchurch City CBD: means the area bounded by the following:
(a) the 4 avenues (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue, and Deans Avenue); and
(b) Harper Avenue
failure,: in relation to a building, includes the following, regardless of their nature or level of severity:
(a) the collapse of the building; and
(b) damage to the building; and
(c) other failure of the building
legal requirements: includes requirements of an enactment (for example, the building code):

Appointment of chairperson

And We appoint you, The Honourable MARK LESLIE SMITH COOPER, to be the chairperson of the Commission:

Power to adjourn

And for better enabling you to carry this Our Commission into effect, you are authorised and empowered, subject to the provisions of this Our Commission, to make and conduct any inquiry or investigation under this Our Commission in the manner and at any time and place that you think expedient, with power to adjourn from time to time and from place to place as you think fit, and so that this Our Commission will continue in force and that inquiry may at any time and place be resumed although not regularly adjourned from time to time or from place to place:

Information and views, relevant expertise, and research

And you are directed, in carrying this Our Commission into effect, to consider whether to do, and to do if you think fit, the following:

(a) adopt procedures that facilitate the provision of information or views related to any of the matters referred to in the order of reference above; and
(b) use relevant expertise, including consultancy services and secretarial services; and
(c) conduct, where appropriate, your own research; and
(d) determine the sequence of your inquiry, having regard to the availability of the outcome of the investigation by the Department of Building and Housing and other essential information, and the need to produce an interim report:

General provisions

And, without limiting any of your other powers to hear proceedings in private or to exclude any person from any of your proceedings, you are empowered to exclude any person from any hearing, including a hearing at which evidence is being taken, if you think it proper to do so:

And you are strictly charged and directed that you may not at any time publish or otherwise disclose, except to His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand in pursuance of this Our Commission or by His Excellency’s direction, the contents or purport of any interim or final report so made or to be made by you:

And it is declared that the powers conferred by this Our Commission are exercisable despite the absence at any time of any 1 member appointed by this Our Commission, so long as the Chairperson, or a member deputed by the Chairperson to act in the place of the Chairperson, and at least 1 other member, are present and concur in the exercise of the powers:

Interim and final reporting dates

And, using all due diligence, you are required to report to His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand in writing under your hands as follows:

(a) not later than 11 October 2011, an interim report, with interim recommendations that inform early decision-making on rebuilding and repair work that forms part of the recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes; and
(b) not later than 11 April 2012, a final report:

And, lastly, it is declared that these presents are issued under the authority of the Letters Patent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, dated 28 October 1983^*, and under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand.

In witness whereof We have caused this Our Commission to be issued and the Seal of New Zealand to be hereunto affixed at Wellington this 11th day of April 2011.

Witness Our Trusty and Well-beloved The Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand, Chancellor and Principal Knight Grand Companion of Our New Zealand Order of Merit, Principal Companion of Our Service Order, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand.

ANAND SATYANAND,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command—

JOHN KEY,

Prime Minister.

Approved in Council—

REBECCA KITTERIDGE,

Clerk of the Executive Council.

Modifications to Reporting Requirements and Powers of Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith:

GREETING:

WHEREAS by Our Warrant, dated 11 April 2011&dagger;, issued under the authority of the Letters Patent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, dated 28 October 1983&dagger;, and under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand, we nominated, constituted, and appointed you, the said The Honourable MARK LESLIE SMITH COOPER, Sir RONALD POWELL CARTER, KNZM, and RICHARD COLLINGWOOD FENWICK, to be a Commission to inquire into and report (making any interim or final recommendations that you think fit) upon certain matters relating to building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes:

AND WHEREAS by Our said Warrant you are required to report finally to His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand not later than 11 April 2012:

AND WHEREAS it is expedient that the time and other requirements for reporting under Our said Warrant should be modified as hereinafter provided:

NOW, THEREFORE, We do by these presents require you to report and make final recommendations (required and otherwise) on the matters in Our said Warrant as follows:

(a) not later than 29 June 2012, on matters that would inform early decision-making on rebuilding and repair work that forms part of the recovery from the Canterbury earthquakes;

and

(b) at any time before 12 November 2012 on any other matter, if you are able to do so; and

AND WHEREAS it is expedient that the powers conferred by Our said Warrant be modified, We do by these presents declare that the powers are exercisable by the Chairperson, or a member deputed by the Chairperson to act in the place of the Chairperson, despite the absence of 1 or 2 of the persons appointed to be members of the Commission, so long as at least 1 other member concurs in the exercise of the powers:

AND it is declared that nothing in these presents affects any act or thing done or decision made by the Commission or any of its members, in the exercise of its powers, before the making of these presents:

And We do hereby confirm Our Warrant dated 11 April 2011 and the Commission constituted by that Warrant, except as modified by these presents:

And, lastly, it is declared that these presents are issued under the authority of the Letters Patent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, dated 28 October 1983, and under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand.

In Witness whereof We have caused these presents to be issued and the Seal of New Zealand to be hereunto affixed at Wellington this 7^th day of February 2012.

Witness Our Trusty and Well-beloved Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, Chancellor and Principal Knight Grand Companion of Our New Zealand Order of Merit, Principal Companion of Our Service Order, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand.

[L.S.]

LT GEN SIR JERRY MATEPARAE, Governor-General

By His Excellency's Command-

JOHN KEY, Prime Minister.

Approved in Council-

REBECCA KITTERIDGE, Clerk of the Executive Council.

_____________________________________________________

Further Extension of Time Within Which Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes May Report

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of New Zealand and her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith:

GREETING:

WHEREAS by Our Warrant, dated 11 April 2011[*], issued under the authority of the Letters Patent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, dated 28 October 1983[&dagger;], and under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand, we nominated, constituted, and appointed you, the said The Honourable MARK LESLIE SMITH COOPER; Sir RONALD POWELL CARTER, KNZM, and RICHARD COLLINGWOOD FENWICK, to be a Commission to inquire into and report (making any interim or final recommendations that you think fit) upon certain matters relating to building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes:

AND WHEREAS by Our said Warrant you were required to report finally to His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand not later than 11 April 2012:

AND WHEREAS by Our Warrant, dated 7 February 2012[&Dagger;], the time within which you were so required to report finally was extended to 12 November 2012:

AND WHEREAS it is expedient that the time and other requirements for reporting under Our said Warrant should be extended as hereinafter provided:

NOW, THEREFORE, We do by these presents extend, until the end of 30 November 2012, the time within which you are required to report finally on all matters on which you have not otherwise reported:

And We do hereby confirm Our Warrant dated 11 April 2011 and the Commission constituted by that Warrant, save as modified by these presents:

And, lastly, it is declared that these presents are issued under the authority of the Letters Patent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, dated 28 October 1983, and under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908, and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand.

In Witness whereof We have caused these presents to be issued and the Seal of New Zealand to be hereunto affixed at Wellington this 23^rd day of October 2012.

Witness Our Trusty and Well-beloved Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, Chancellor and Principal Knight Grant Companion of Our New Zealand Order of Merit, Principal Companion of Our Service Order, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Realm of New Zealand.

[L.S.]

Lt Gen Sir JERRY MATEPARAE, Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command—

Rt Hon JOHN KEY, Prime Minister.

Approved in Council—

REBECCA KITTERIDGE, Clerk of the Executive Council.

_____________________________________________________

Media release - Technical reports being prepared

2017-06-22T09:14:25Z

MEDIA RELEASE

12 July 2011

Technical Reports Being Prepared For Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has commissioned a raft of reports from New Zealand and international technical experts to help its inquiry into building failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes.

GNS Science and University of Canterbury Professor Jarg Pettinga are preparing a paper outlining the seismic nature of New Zealand and the nature of the Canterbury earthquakes.

William Holmes, US-based international expert on earthquake structural engineering, is reviewing and commenting on the report being prepared for the Department of Building and Housing’s investigation of the Canterbury TV, Pyne Gould Corporation, Grand Chancellor and Forsyth Barr buildings. He is also assisting with the review and determination of the performance of the other buildings that will comprise a representative sample in the Central Business District, including earthquake-prone buildings.  Providing the Commission with information regarding international best practices relating to earthquake design and construction of buildings is also part of Holmes’ brief.

University of Canterbury Associate Professor Greg MacRae is undertaking a comparison of New Zealand standards used in the design of buildings for earthquake actions and material standards for reinforced concrete and structural steel buildings. The report should enable engineers and owners to identify potential weaknesses in buildings, which were designed to previous standards, in comparison to structures designed to current standards in 2010. 

Associate Professor Jason Ingham of University of Auckland will report on the strengthening and performance of old buildings for and under earthquake conditions. He is being assisted by Professor Michael Griffith of the University of Adelaide.

Another University of Canterbury earthquake engineer, Associate Professor Misko Cubrinovski, is reporting on soils and liquefaction. His report will include a general review of the alluvial soils found in the Christchurch Central Business District, and the general concepts which should be followed in the design foundations for buildings on these soils.

Professor Andy Buchanan and senior structural engineers from the University of Canterbury are reporting on the research and development of new design and construction methodologies to improve the ability of buildings to withstand earthquakes. The report will also cover developments in respect of concrete, steel and timber structures and also refer to base isolation.  The reasons for the development of the new methodologies, and the results anticipated from their use, will also be included.

Another report is being sought on the sequential development of standards for building construction in New Zealand from 1935 to the present day, and the processes by which the developments have occurred. This report will consider the legislation and other rules governing the engineering profession since 1924 to the present day.  A comparison will be made between the current New Zealand rules and those that apply in other countries to which New Zealand commonly bench-marks and the manner in which building controls are managed by building consent authorities and ways this might be improved.

A report is also being sought on the changes in masonry design standards over the last 75 years.

Other topics being investigated include:

The procedure used in the initial rapid assessment made of buildings in the city following the 4 September 2010, 26 December 2010 and 22 February earthquakes together with the basis of this method.
The regulatory framework for approving the construction of buildings in New Zealand
The training of structural and geotechnical engineers in New Zealand and the procedure used in assessing their competence to qualify for the Charter Professional Engineer qualification and the restrictions placed on engineers who do not have this qualification.
How territorial authorities select earthquake-prone buildings and the steps they take to improve their seismic performance and the level to which these buildings are upgraded.

The estimated cost of the reports to date is $326,000 but will increase as the inquiry progresses and more reports are sought. In due course the reports will be published on the Commission’s website and people will able to make submissions or comments on them to assist the Commission’s inquiry.

These reports are in addition to information provided to the Commission by New Zealand Police, Christchurch City Council and the Department of Building and Housing.

Since the Commission was established in April 2011, it has also built up a team of eight staff to assist including two Counsel Assisting (independent lawyers) whose role includes ensuring the Commission’s process is fair and robust for all parties.

END

About the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission was established in response to the building failure and loss of life caused by the Canterbury earthquakes in February 2011.

A Royal Commission is the most serious response available to the Government. The Commission is independent from the Government and can determine its own processes to investigate matters outlined in its Terms of Reference.

In May the Commission chaired by sitting High Court judge Justice Mark Cooper began its work. The other two Commissioners are former University of Canterbury Associate Professor Richard Fenwick and Sir Ron Carter.
Expressions of interest are now being sought from any person or organization wishing to participate in the Inquiry, either by making submissions, giving evidence or providing information to the Royal Commission.
Public hearings will be held in Christchurch during the latter part of 2011.

The Commission will provide an interim report to the Government by 11 October 2011. The Government requires the final report no later than 11 April 2012. The reports will contain findings and recommendations for Christchurch Central Business District (CBD) and CBDs in other parts of New Zealand.

Media Contact

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor, Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Phone 021 621 656

email: robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

About the Royal Commission

2017-06-22T09:14:24Z

About the Royal Commission

In response to the Canterbury earthquakes on 14 March 2011 Cabinet agreed to establish a Royal Commission to inquire into the Canterbury Earthquakes chaired by Justice Mark Cooper, a sitting High Court judge.

By 13 April 2011 two other Commissioners, eminent engineers Sir Ron Carter and Professor Richard Fenwick, were appointed. The terms of reference were also finalised.

On 4 May 2011 the Commissioners met for the first time in Christchurch. A secretariat of staff has also been established to assist the Commissioners. The Department of Internal Affairs provides further administrative support.

The purpose of the Commission is to examine issues around the built environment in the Christchurch central business district including, but not limited to, the Canterbury Television (CTV), Pyne Gould Corporation (PGC), Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings. We are also required to inquire into the adequacy of the relevant building codes and standards into the future.

The Commission must take into account, but not be limited by, a technical investigation undertaken by the Department of Building and Housing.

In February 2012 the terms of reference were modified to enable a later final reporting date.

In March 2012 Justice Cooper confirmed the jurisdiction of the Commission in response to an application from Srecko (Alec) Cvetanov 

What is a Royal Commission

2017-06-22T09:14:01Z

What is a Royal Commission?

A Royal Commission is the most serious response to an issue available to the New Zealand Government. It investigates matters of great importance and difficulty.

A Royal Commission is engaged in fact-finding and preventing future recurrences. It investigates why the situation came about and then recommends policy or legislative changes to prevent it happening again.

The Government establishes terms of reference, which set out what subjects are to be investigated. However a Royal Commission is independent from the Government and reports to the Governor-General. The way the inquiry is conducted and the Commission is run is decided by the Chair and Commissioners. The Government cannot interfere in the direction taken by an inquiry or influence the findings.

A Royal Commission can inquire into any matters it sees fit in order to determine the cause of the issues.  Chaired by a High Court judge who is appointed by the Governor-General, it has the powers of compulsion in regard to witnesses, documentation and awarding costs. This enables the Royal Commission to uncover information which might otherwise be difficult to obtain.

Evidence is gathered from a range of different places and sources, including from participants and through the Commission's own investigations. Public hearings are one important part of the inquiry process. They provide an opportunity to clarify matters, test disputed material and ensure that key evidence is discussed in public.

A Royal Commission is not able to determine legal rights and liabilities. Findings and recommendations are not binding upon any party, including the Government.

For more information see: www.royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Advisory Media Arrangements at Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Hearings

2017-06-22T09:13:55Z

Media Advisory

30 September 2011

Media Arrangements at Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Hearings

As part of its ongoing inquiry, the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission will periodically hold hearings on issues that arise under the terms of reference, starting at 1 pm on Monday 17 October 2011. Hearings will be held at St Teresa’s Church Hall on the corner of Puriri Street and Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Christchurch.

The Commission recognises the important role the media plays in keeping the public informed and will provide facilities to facilitate the media's work. We look forward to the co-operation of all journalists, camera operators and other media representatives, to ensure the smooth running of the hearings.

Hearing Timetable

When hearing dates are set, information will be added to the hearings schedule.
Before each hearing the Commission will publish a hearing timetable on its website. This will include the general nature of each witness’s evidence and the anticipated timing for when particular witnesses will appear. The timing may change as the hearings proceed.
The hearings will be held Monday to Friday. On Mondays hearings start at 10am. Tuesday to Friday they start at 9.30am. Hearings adjourn at about 5pm each day. Please note some days may be half days and on occasion a hearing topic may be completed before the end of the week.

Media Briefing

An off-the-record background media briefing will be held from 2 pm – 3.30 pm on 11 October at the hearing venue. The purpose of the briefing will be to inform media about the nature of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission, progress made on the inquiry to date and how the hearings will be conducted.
If you wish to attend the media briefing please contact Senior Communications Advisor Robin Major at robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz by 4 pm on Friday 7 October.

Media Centre

Due to limited space inside the hearings room, the media are requested to work from the media centre located directly behind the church hall. If the hearings room is not busy, access may be organised by calling Robin Major on 021 621 656. If access is granted media must wear a red media lanyard (available in the media centre). Notes can be taken but no recording devices are allowed.
The media centre is equipped with a TV monitor showing live footage provided by the Commission’s webcast supplier Tandem.
Access to the media centre will be available on request from 9.30 am on Friday 14 October to set up equipment and cabling.
Security guards will patrol the hearings venue after hours but anything left in the media centre is at your own risk.
During the hearings the media centre will be open the same hours as the rest of the hearings venue. (Approximately 30 minutes before proceedings commence and 30 minutes after they are completed for the day).
Accredited media will be supplied with access to a free standard wireless internet broadband connection. Media should also provide their own internet connections to ensure certainty of coverage. Robin Major will provide accredited media with the connection password and the  responsible internet use policy which must be followed. Please note the Commission will not provide technical support for access to the internet.
Tea and coffee making facilities will be available in the annex adjoining the hearing room. This area will be equipped with a TV monitor showing the live feed for the general public in case there are not enough seats in the hearing room or if people arrive late. Please do not work from this area.
All media please park on the street.

Live Streaming and Video Archives

To enable media to follow the hearings and file stories on an ongoing basis without having to be physically present, the hearings will be live streamed over the internet.  Your viewing experience will depend on internet traffic levels.
Hearings videos will be uploaded loaded progressively through each hearing day. Publishing timeframes will depend on internet traffic. A search engine will enable searching of the videos by date, person, building and subject.
Bona fide media websites are welcome to link to the hearings website. Please contact Robin Major if you wish to iframe the website content as the Commission retains ownership of this material and there are iframing conditions which must be met.

Media Registration

All bona fide media representatives who wish to attend any hearing and/or receive hearing updates are required to register their interest five working days before each hearing begins by sending an email to robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz. The email should state:
- Name of Media Organisation
- Country
- Type (print, radio, TV, web)
- Staff who will attend/and or want to receive documents
- Email address(es)
- Phone number(s)
- Hearing topic/dates
- Please note media need to register their interest for each hearing. 
While in the precincts of the hearing venue, all media will be required to display their organisation’s photo ID and wear a red media lanyard supplied by the Commission. Please collect your lanyard from the media centre.

 Pool Media

There is only space for two cameras in the hearing room – one TV camera and one still camera.
TVNZ and TV3 are working co-operatively to provide a shared TV and audio feed to accredited media. Please contact james.marshall@tvnz.co.nz  or +64 (0) 274 738 699 at least five working days before each hearing begins to discuss your technical requirements and the connectors you will need to bring. Please note the Commission will not provide technical support or equipment for accessing the pool media feed.
Accredited media can source stills photography from The Press. For more information please contact illustrations@press.co.nz or + 64 (0) 3 9432-805.

Evidence

Technical reports and submissions will be published in the Document Library before each hearing begins.
Hearing transcripts will be published as soon as they are available (generally within 48 hours).

Suppression

The Commission may impose some restrictions on coverage. The media will be advised about any suppressed material by Robin Major.

 Media Interviews 

Please do not approach the Commissioners or Counsel Assisting the Commission for interviews as it would not be appropriate for them to comment while the hearings are in progress. If you would like a comment from the Commission please contact Robin Major. 
Please do not approach witnesses for interviews before they have delivered their evidence. The exception is technical report writers who are called as witnesses. There is no restriction on approaching them for interviews but they are not able to give 'previews' of their evidence.
Please respect the privacy of bereaved families if they do not wish to be interviewed.

 Conditions of Coverage

The Commission’s Conditions of Coverage are based on standard conditions for media coverage in Court. Acceptance of these conditions is required as a condition of coverage of the hearings.

Reporting Restrictions

 At any time prior to giving evidence a witness may apply for orders restricting media coverage of his or her evidence.
In considering the application, the Commission may have regard to:
- whether media coverage is likely to affect adversely the quality of the evidence to be given by the witness; 
- whether the presence of a television camera or a photographer or radio crew is likely to lead to the witness not appearing to give evidence; 
- whether being filmed or photographed or recorded may cause undue stress or anxiety to the witness; 
- whether being filmed or photographed or recorded may lead to intimidation or harassment of the witness; 
- whether the witness’s privacy interests outweigh the public interest in broadcasting that witness’s evidence, given the likely significance of the evidence; 
- any other relevant matters.
The Commission may order that any person covering the hearing: 
- must not film the witness anywhere between the time of the ruling and the end of the hearing; 
- must not photograph the witness while he or she is in the hearing room or giving evidence; 
- must not photograph the witness anywhere between the time of the ruling and the end of the hearing; 
- must not record the witness while he or she is giving evidence;
- must not record the witness anywhere between the time of the ruling and the end of the hearing; 
- may film the witness but must ensure that the witness, if broadcasted giving evidence, is not recognisable; 
- must comply with any other conditions imposed by the Commission.
Where the Commission makes a ruling, the television camera must be either removed from the hearing room while the witness is giving evidence or turned away from the witness so that it is apparent to the witness that he or she is not being filmed.

 Revocation of Authority to Cover a Hearing

The Commission may at any time revoke authority to cover a hearing if:
- the accredited media representative or someone acting on behalf of the accredited media representative breaches these guidelines or any condition of the grant of authority to over the hearing; or 
- the Commission determines that the rights of any participant in the Inquiry may or will be prejudiced if coverage continues; or
- coverage of the hearings is disrupting the Inquiry.

We appreciate your interest in covering the hearings and look forward to working with you constructively. We will endeavour to resolve any concerns or issues prior to the hearings commencing.

If you have any questions on the above arrangements please contact:

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
+ 64 (0) 3 741 3004
+64 (0)21 621 656
Robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

About the Commissioners

2017-06-22T09:13:54Z

About the Commissioners

Hon Justice Mark Cooper (Chair)

Justice Mark Cooper studied law at the University of Auckland, graduating LLB (Hons), MJur (Dist) and winning the Fowlds prize in law in 1979.

He commenced practice with the firm Butler White & Hanna, which later merged into Simpson Grierson, and was principal legal advisor for the Auckland City, North Shore City and Rodney District Councils, advising on a wide range of laws affecting local government, including resource management, rates and valuation.

Justice Cooper became a barrister sole in 1997, and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2000. He was appointed to the High Court bench in Auckland in 2004.

Sir Ron Carter

Sir Ron Carter is a Director on the boards of Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd and Rural Equities Ltd, Chairman of the Committee for Auckland and a Trustee of the Sir Peter Blake Trust and the Beca Group Superannuation Plan.  He is a former director of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, TrustPower, Air New Zealand Ltd and former Chairman of the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.  He was also formerly a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board and is a former President of the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand. 

Sir Ron has carried out postgraduate research into the properties of concrete and the earthquake resistance of structures. 

Sir Ron was knighted in the 1998 New Year’s Honours for his contribution to engineering and business administration.  In March 2001 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by the University of Auckland.

Professor Richard Fenwick

Richard Fenwick is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury.  He is an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit, a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ, a life member both of the NZ Society of Earthquake Engineering and the Structural Engineering Society and an Honorary Member of the NZ Concrete Society. 

Richard has 48 years of experience in the design of structures, in research and teaching and he has been involved in the writing of NZ Structural Design Standards.

Media Advisory - Quake Commission Releases First Technical Report

2017-06-22T09:13:51Z

MEDIA ADVISORY 

9 August 2011

Quake Commission Releases First Technical Report

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission in Christchurch has released its first technical report.

Briefing material prepared by the Department of Building and Housing has been published on the technical papers section of the Commission’s website. The material summarises the general system of building controls prior to 1991 but not how the system was applied locally by Christchurch City Council. The Commission has requested that information from the Council directly.

The report also covers the current building regulatory system in four main sections:

1. The building regulatory system.
2. The development of seismic design and standards
3. The Building Act 2004 provisions for upgrading of the structural performance of buildings
4. Post earthquake assessment of buildings

The report also refers to the departmental investigation into the CTV, PGC, Hotel Grand Chancellor and Forsyth Barr buildings.

The briefing material was provided to the Commission early in its inquiry. The Commission is now publishing the material in line with its overall approach of publishing technical material it receives.

The Commission’s inquiry is well underway. It is gathering information from anyone who has relevant information about how the buildings collapsed. This includes reports produced by other organisations as well as technical reports it has commissioned from leading New Zealand and international technical experts. 

All these reports will be published on the Commission’s website. This will make the contents contestable in the Commission’s hearings. People who have lodged an Expression of Interest will be able to refer to these reports when making their submissions.

Under the Commissions of Inquiry Act the Commission has extensive powers to investigate including the power to require the provision of information and to summons witnesses. Only the Commission has these powers.

ENDS

About the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission in Christchurch was established in response to the building failure and loss of life caused by the Canterbury earthquake on February 2011.

A Royal Commission is the most serious response available to the New Zealand Government.  Under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908 it has extensive powers to investigate including the power to require the provision of information and to summons witnesses.

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission is chaired by sitting High Court judge Justice Mark Cooper. The other two Commissioners are University of Auckland Associate Professor Richard Fenwick and Sir Ron Carter.

The Commission will provide an interim report by 11 October 2011 and a final report no later than 11 April 2012.

Media Contact

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Phone +64 3 7413004 or +64 21 621 656
email:  robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Advisory - Four DBH Technical Investigation Reports Received by Quakes Royal Commission

2017-06-22T09:13:51Z

Media Advisory

30 September 2011

Four DBH Technical Investigation Reports Received by Quakes Royal Commission

Today the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has received from the Department of Building and Housing three consultants’ reports containing the results of the Department’s technical investigation into the PGC, Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings.

The Commission has also received a report about all three buildings from the Department's independent expert panel. All four reports can be accessed via the document library on the Commission’s website.

The Commission’s Terms of Reference require the Commission to receive and take into account the results of the Department’s investigation into the failure of these three buildings and the CTV building. The result of the investigation into the CTV building is not yet available.

While the Commission expects the results of the DBH technical investigation will be of significant assistance to its inquiry, the Commission will also seek its own advice and will form its own views. Eminent structural engineer Mr William T. Holmes from San Francisco will assist by reviewing the DBH investigation reports for the Commission.

As required by the Terms of Reference, the Commission is also conducting its own independent inquiry into the failure of the PGC, Forsyth Barr, Hotel Grand Chancellor and CTV buildings, gathering information about the performance of buildings from various organisations and analysing it.

All the reports will be contestable in the Commission’s hearings process once hearings on these buildings are scheduled. These hearings are likely to be held at the end of the year or in the New Year.

END

About the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission in Christchurch was established in response to the building failure and loss of life caused by the Canterbury earthquake in February 2011.

The purpose of the Commission is to examine issues around the built environment in the Christchurch central business district and to inquire into the adequacy of relevant building codes and standards into the future.

The Commission is required to provide the Governor-General with an interim report by 11 October 2011 and a final report by no later than 11 April 2012.

For Further Information:

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Ph + 64 (0)3 741 3004 or + 64 (0)21 621 656
Email: robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Release - Quakes Royal Commission Hearings Start 17 October

2017-06-22T09:13:49Z

MEDIA RELEASE  

 25 August 2011

Quakes Royal Commission Hearings Start 17 October

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission will begin hearings on 17 October 2011 at St Teresa Church Hall on the corner of Riccarton Road and Puriri Street in Christchurch.

The Commission will hold hearings on the issue of seismicity. They are expected to take about a week. Other hearings will be held about other topics later in the year and in the New Year.

The Commission is not able to set out a full schedule of the hearings until it receives the results of a separate investigation being carried out by the Department of Building and Housing into the failure of the CTV, PGC, Hotel Grand Chancellor and Forsyth Barr buildings. In the meantime the Commission is continuing with its own investigation of the failure of those buildings and many other buildings in the CBD, including those in or near where lives were lost on 22 February 2011.

“Our terms of reference require us to take the results of that investigation into account and determine the sequence of our inquiry having regard to its availability. Until the results of the departmental investigation are publicly available the Commission can not schedule hearings dealing with those buildings,” says Chair Justice Mark Cooper.

“Because the hearings in relation to the inspection of buildings and the ‘stickering’ or ‘placarding’ of buildings should logically follow consideration of the reasons for the failure of these buildings, those hearings also cannot be scheduled at this stage.

“It is important that the departmental investigation is thorough as that will assist the work of the Commission.”

On the issue of seismicity, the Commission has published a report on its website prepared by GNS Science. It deals with the level of earthquake risk in Christchurch, the nature and severity of the Canterbury earthquakes and the implications for Christchurch and New Zealand’s national seismic hazard model.  

Professor Ralph Archuleta of the University of California at Santa Barbara and Professor Norman Ambrahamson of University of California at Berkeley are carrying out separate peer reviews of the report to ensure that advice given to the Commission reflects international understandings and best practice.

The Commission has called for submissions and evidence on the GNS Science report to be provided to it (preferably in electronic form) by 30 September 2011.

The Commission has also published on its website a report by Professor Emeritus Athol Carr of the University of Canterbury about Inelastic Response Spectra. The report contains technical information for the use of structural engineers to help them explain why observed damage has occurred to buildings as a result of the earthquakes. It will also help in identifying what damage not immediately apparent, may have occurred.

In coming weeks the Commission plans to publish further reports dealing with some of the other subjects that will be considered in public hearings. These include the characteristics of land in the Christchurch CBD, new building construction methods and technologies, and the performance of unreinforced masonry buildings in the earthquakes.

 ENDS

 About the GNS Science Report

The GNS Science report is called ‘The Canterbury Earthquake sequence and implications for Seismic Design Levels’.

GNS Science advise the report was largely compiled from existing information, especially short-term projects to inform the rebuild of Christchurch and associated scientific investigation that has been underway since last September. There was also a lot of pre-existing background material. However, it also contains material that is new to the general public.  

Comparisons between the four principal earthquakes, such as on pages 31 and 72
The map plots (Figures 3.4, 3.7, 3.9, 3.14)
Preliminary Alpine Fault rupture modelling. GNS notes more modelling work needs to be undertaken.

About the Professor Emeritus Athol Carr Report

The Professor Emeritus Athol Carr report is called ‘Inelastic Response Spectra for the Christchurch Earthquake Records’.

Professor Carr advises the report resulted from observations that one of the premises used by structural engineers, worldwide, did not appear to hold when analyses were carried of buildings using the Christchurch earthquake records. 

All design standards (or codes) assume, that for building with a longer natural period of free-vibration (in NZS 1170.5; 2004 long is greater than 0.7 seconds, typically for buildings of four or five stories) that the displacements of the building define to behave in a ductile manner, the presumption for virtually all buildings built in New Zealand, the displacements would be the same (or similar) to those of a building which behaved elastically (no damage). 

Ductile buildings with a short natural period would expect larger displacements than those for the linear elastic building.  The observations from the spectra presented indicate that the displacements could be considerably larger for buildings with natural periods up three seconds (i.e. to about 18 stories). 

This assumption by all design standards has had some criticism for several decades but this criticism has largely been ignored, as of minor consequence.  However, it is a fundamental feature in the way the design forces (actions) and displacements are computed for design.

Professor Carr advises the continued use of this assumption needs real investigation.  This could be particularly important for the new methods of structural design which start off with a displacement spectra which is obtained from the current acceleration design spectra using this equal displacement assumption.

Media Contact  

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Phone +64 3 7413004 or +64 21 621 656
email:  robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Statement - New Technologies Hearing Scheduled by Quakes Royal Commission

2017-06-22T09:13:48Z

MEDIA STATEMENT   

                                                                                                                        6 October 2011

New Technologies Hearing Scheduled by Quakes Royal Commission

In the week commencing 7 February 2012 the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission will conduct a public hearing about new building technologies which improve the seismic performance of buildings.

At the hearing the Commission will consider technical advice received from academics from the University of Canterbury’s Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering. The advice takes the form of the report ‘Base Isolation and Damage-Resistant Technologies for Improved Seismic Performance of Buildings’. The report was prepared at the request of the Commission by Professor Andrew Buchanan, Holcim Adjunct Professor Des Bull, Associate Professor Greg MacRae, Associate Professor Rajesh Dhakal, Dr Alessandro Palermo and Associate Professor Stefano Pampanin. It is available on the Commission’s website.

The report describes the current approach to seismic design together with a number of alternative technologies that can be used to improve seismic performance including base isolation, precast structural seismic systems (PRESSS) and non-tearing floor systems.

The report relates to a number of issues the Commission is required to consider including:

Development of technical expertise in the design and construction of seismic-resistant buildings
Change of New Zealand design standards and codes of practice
Legal and best-practice requirements for the design of buildings
Application of technical knowledge in setting legislative and regulatory requirements

Submissions on matters raised in the report are due by 5pm 16 December 2011.

The hearings will be held at St Teresa’s Church Hall on the corner of Puriri Street and Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Christchurch.

END

About the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Hearings

A hearings schedule is published on the Commission’s website. The Commission will shortly provide information about other hearings to be held in November, December and January.

The hearings will be live streamed on http://canterbury-hearings.royalcommission.govt.nz. This site will also publish video archives with links to relevant documents.

For further information contact:

Robin Major
Senior Communications Advisor
+ 64 (0) 3 741 3004
+64 (0)21 621 656
Robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Statement - Canterbury Artist to Exhibit at Earthquakes Royal Commission

2017-06-22T09:13:48Z

Media Statement

5 October 2011

Canterbury Artist to Exhibit at Quakes Royal Commission Hearings

Highly respected Canterbury artist Wayne Seyb will exhibit eight of his Christchurch earthquake street scenes at the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission hearing room at St Teresa’s church hall on the corner of Puriri Street and Riccarton Road in Riccarton, Christchurch.

Seyb began painting street scenes a month after the February 22 earthquake as a way of managing the stress of the massive seismic event. Most of the artworks are of buildings and street scenes within the Christchurch CBD which relates directly to the Commission’s inquiry.

“I started painting around my local area - Avonside, Linwood and Dallington, carrying canvas, paints and brushes around the streets, working on the spot. From my neighbourhood I branched out and began painting around the edges of the cordon.

“People would watch me paint, sharing stories with me and commenting on my work. I got more feedback on my paintings from people on the street than in all my years of exhibiting. It was a shared experience.”

Seyb got to know police and army personnel who were manning the cordons and were interested in what he was doing, particularly the process of painting oil on canvas. Each painting usually began as a chaos of paint, eventually taking form amongst the dust and debris.

“I was making a record of places before they were gone. Often landmarks I painted became empty spaces a week or so later. Painting became a race against time.”

The exhibition has been organised by the Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust –an organisation that has worked to support artists in and from the Canterbury region since 1996. Seyb is included in the trust’s website, www.articulate.org.nz which was set up in July to document the experiences and responses of significant local artists following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

“Wayne Seyb’s works illustrate the way in which original works of art can connect and support a community by offering a visible expression of shared human experience,” says Trust Chairperson Lorraine North.  

Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Executive Director Justine Gilliland is pleased Seyb and the Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust have agreed to help make the hearings venue a more inviting place.

“The hearings are the public face of the Commission’s inquiry and it is important everyone feels welcome. Wayne’s paintings are highly appropriate given the nature of our inquiry and we are pleased to use this opportunity to support the arts community,” says Gilliland.

END

About Wayne Seyb

Wayne Seyb was born in Temuka, South Canterbury, in 1961. He attended the Otago School of Art in 1980 and set up the Art Attack initiative in 1981. In 1983 he moved to Ravensbourne, a harbour suburb of Dunedin under the dark Otago hills and in 1990 he bought a house at Karitane, a small sea-side village north of Dunedin. He painted the landscape there as a way of getting to know it.

In 1993 he held an exhibition in Munich and made the most of his travels in Europe to further his studies of painting, especially German Expressionism.  In later years he studied paintings at the Stedelijk, Rijkmuseum and Vincent van Gogh Museums in Amsterdam, as well as the Tate and National Gallery in London. In 2004 he travelled to Naples, Pompeii and Florence.

Since 1999 Wayne has lived in central Christchurch with his wife, Allyson, and their two children but also ensures he remains connected to the southern landscape by spending time painting at their Dunedin bach.

Wayne’s vigorous oils, whether applied to painting the landscapes of Canterbury, Otago and Southland, or the street scenes of an earthquake ravaged city, excel in their ability to capture a sense of place and mood. They are often rich with symbolism. Although his preferred medium is oil for its immediacy and intensity, he also works with wood cuts and watercolour. He exhibits regularly throughout New Zealand in dealer and public galleries.

About Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust

Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust (CAHT) was incorporated as a charitable organisation in 1996. A main objective of the trust is to support and promote the work of artists in and from the Canterbury region. Its wider cultural objectives are to further community education and participation in the arts, and to facilitate increased arts activity in the Canterbury region. These objectives are achieved through a variety of special projects undertaken annually by the trust in response to specific needs identified within the local arts community.

Over the years the trust has produced numerous public events to the benefit of the wider community as well as local professional artists across many arts disciplines, including music and theatre. For the past decade the trust has worked mainly in the area of fine arts, with events covering a variety of contemporary art practice including sculpture, painting and photography. 

For Further Information

Canterbury Arts and Heritage Trust
Chairperson
Lorraine North
ph + 64 (0)3 365 3829
Email: lorraine.north@xtra.co.nz

Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
Senior Communications Advisor
Robin Major
Ph +64 (0)3 741 3004, +64 (0)21 621 656
Email: robin.major@royalcommission.govt.nz

Media Advisory - Interim Report to be handed over to Government

2017-06-22T09:13:47Z

MEDIA ADVISORY

5 October 2011

Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Interim Report to be handed over to Government

The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission – Te Komihana Rūwhenua a te Karauna – will present its interim report to the Governor General of New Zealand on 10 October 2011. The interim report will include interim recommendations that will assist decision-making for rebuilding and repair work as part of the earthquake recovery effort. It does not deal with specific buildings that caused loss of life.

The report will then be handed over to the Acting Chief Executive of Internal Affairs. From there, the Chief Executive will deliver the report to the Minister responsible – in this case – the Attorney General who receives it on behalf of the Government.

The timing of the release will be announced by the Government on or after 11 October. It is the Government’s decision as to how and when to release the report. It can be released on its own or with a government response. The Department of Internal Affairs cannot comment on or confirm the likely time for release of the report.

As soon as the interim report is released it will be available, on the Department of Internal Affairs website www.dia.govt.nz and the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission website www.canterbury.royalcommission.govt.nz

ends

Media Contact

Tony Wallace

Senior Communications Advisor

The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua

Phone 64 4 495 9472 mobile 64 27 440 2667 email: tony.wallace@dia.govt.nz

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes

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Issue 1 &ndash; Seismicity

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Jurisdiction decision

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes

Recitals

Appointment and order of reference

Inquiry into sample of buildings and 4 specified buildings

Inquiry into legal and best-practice requirements

Other incidental matters arising

Matters upon or for which recommendations required

Exclusions from inquiry and scope of recommendations

Definitions

Appointment of chairperson

Power to adjourn

Information and views, relevant expertise, and research

General provisions

Interim and final reporting dates

Media releases

Issue 1 – Seismicity

Issue 2 – Inquiry into buildings in the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD)

Issue 3 – Inquiry into legal and best-practice requirements

Issue 4 – Change of New Zealand Design Standards/Codes of Practice over time

Issue 5 – Development of technical expertise in the design and construction of seismic resistant buildings

Issue 6 – Future measures

Hearing About Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Buildings and Earthquake-Prone Policies

Professor Richard Fenwick

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About the GNS Science Report

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