Earthquake victim Ann Brower 'delighted' with new safety building law

Thursday, 12 May 2016

Dr Ann Brower was the only person to survive after a building on Colombo St collapsed on 13 people during the February 2011 earthquake.

Earthquake survivor Ann Brower says she is 'delighted' the Government will force earthquake-prone buildings to become safer sooner.

Brower was the only person to survive after a building on Colombo St collapsed during the earthquake. Nine people on the bus were killed, along with four people on the footpath nearby.

A total of 40 people died in the Christchurch earthquake because of the failure of unreinforced masonry buildings.

Changes to the Earthquake-Prone Buildings Amendment Act focused on the 2000 most dangerous buildings across the country, which had unsecured or unreinforced masonry, requiring them to be assessed within 2.5 years and fixed within 7.5 years.

* Government halves timeframe to fix most dangerous buildings

* Quake-proofing masonry buildings

* 'Economic decline' warning over fixing quake-prone buildings faster**

Now, unreinforced buildings with facades and verandas that crossed into public spaces used by pedestrians and vehicles would be required to be assessed and fixed in half that time after the law change was passed by Parliament on Tuesday.

Previously, both Brower and the Christchurch City Council had criticised the Government for not going far enough in its earthquake strengthening policy.

'If previous parliaments had had the courage to make the changes that were made on Tuesday night a generation ago, those who died beside me would still be alive,' Brower said.

'I am delighted to have played a role in transforming a contentious, difficult bill into one that passed by 120 votes to one.'

Brower said there was 'nothing natural' about what happened on February 22, 2011, when she 'nearly lost my left leg'.

'It wasn't the earthquake, it was the building, decisions made about the building and the failure to enforce those decisions.

'I felt I owed it to my fellow injured survivors and the 12 who died beside me to make the changes to building regulations. I don't mind trying and failing, but I wouldn't be able to sleep if I'd failed to try.'