More than 40 Wellington City Council-owned buildings deemed earthquake-prone

Monday, 28 July 2025

More than 40 Wellington City Council-owned buildings are earthquake-prone and need strengthening.

The Embassy Theatre - which the Wellington City Council has owned since 2004 - is not alone in the capital in receiving an earthquake-prone building notice this month.

Wellington City Council has confirmed that more than 40 of its buildings have been deemed earthquake-prone.

The strengthening deadlines range from 2030 to 2043, meaning ratepayers will have to stump up millions over the next two decades.

Among the more well-known sites needing strengthening are the Opera House, Michael Fowl er Centre, Kilbirnie Recreation Centre and the squirrel monkeys enclosure at Wellington Zoo.

There’s also several social housing structures - including some that have undergone multi-million dollar upgrades within the last decade.

The Embassy Theatre is the most recent to get an earthquake-prone notice. The council has owned the building since 2004.

The council has deemed some structures, like the City to Sea Bridge and Capital E building, too costly repair and plans to demolish them.

Meanwhile, others in the Civic Square precinct (the Town Hall, central library, City Gallery and Te Ngākau Civic Square basement) have work well under way already.

The council is yet to decide what to do with the Michael Fowler Centre, which is earthquake-prone and has a strengthening deadline of September 2033.

The council has not provided the expected cost of strengthening all 40-plus buildings, but has already spent over $300m redeveloping the Town Hall and nearly $190m on the central library.

Councillors also voted in April to take on $439m in debt to fix up the social housing stock, which includes strengthening nine earthquake-prone buildings.

Plus, the council is helping other owners of earthquake prone buildings. Under the current Long-Term Plan, owners of structures that cannot be occupied while undergoing strengthening may be eligible for a rates remission.

Just the link bridge is earthquake-prone at Pukehinau Flats, which was damaged by a fire earlier this year.

In the case of the Embassy Theatre, while it can continue its day-to-day operation, the building’s seismic performance rating is just 30% of NBS (the new building standard) and strengthening work must be carried out by July 1, 2041.

A rating below the required standard (34% of NBS) does not always mean the whole building is earthquake-prone.

Strengthening work above the main auditorium and on the Marjoribanks St façade will bring the building up to standard, the council said.

Wellington’s council-owned earthquake-prone buildings:

– 572 Adelaide Road (Berhampore Nursery)

– 3-5 Broderick Road (former Johnsonville library)

– 2 Brooklyn Road (Pukehinau Apartments, link bridge only)

– 144, 146, 148 Daniell Street

– 200 Daniell Street (Wellington Zoo building 13)

– 101 Glenmore Street (Wellington Botanic Garden sheds, stables and toilet block)

– 16 Glenmore Street (Whare Ahuru Flats)

– 116 Grant Road (Old Wellington Waterworks building)

– 80 Hanson Street (Hanson Court Blocks A, C, D & E)

– 3 Jervois Quay (The Bond Store)

– 29 Jervois Quay (Frank Kitts Carpark)

– 5 Kemp Street (Kōtuku Flats Blocks A, B,C & D)

– 10 Kent Terrace (Embassy Theatre)

– 101 Kilbirnie Crescent (Kilbirnie Recreation Centre)

– 75 Landfill Road (Southern Landfill building K)

– 8 Linden Avenue (Duncan Park building A)

– 23A Lyndhurst Road (Lyndhurst Park building A)

– 109 Manners Street (Opera House)

–- 26 Murphy Street (Thorndon Pool)

– 46 Nairn Street (Berkley Dallard Apartments)

– 11 Queens Wharf (Shed 1)

– 203 The Esplanade (Bait House)

– 101 Wakefield Street (Michael Fowler Centre, Te Wharemarie Tamariki)

– 45-49 Woodmancote Road (Khandallah Pool buildings)