Work from home mandate for hundreds of council staff as earthquake repairs intensify

Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Scaffolding is being installed at the Hereford St frontage of Christchurch City Council’s Civic Building ahead of work to remove 68 concrete panels starting on August 13.

Hundreds of staff working at Christchurch City Council’s Civic Building have been told to work from home as earthquake strengthening work intensifies.

Problems with the building’s six-storey annex, fronting Worcester Blvd, were identified in May last year, leading to the abrupt evacuation of 400 staff from the 9m by 80m space.

The area, which includes the council meeting chamber, has since been off-limits and, following detailed investigations, more problems were discovered with several sets of stairs, parts of the roof, cladding, verandas and a small section of flooring.

The issues mean the building sits below 33% of the new building standard (NBS) and is considered earthquake-prone.

The $19.9 million repair job started in December and, apart from the initial displacement, has progressed with little disruption to staff, until now.

Staff were told late last week they would have to work from home for about a month from August 13 while 68 concrete panels on the Hereford St frontage are removed.

Some staff were also being moved to other council facilities.

The earthquake strengthening work will cost $19.9 million, but ratepayers will not pick up the bill, staff say.

Cranes will be on site and the street will be reduced to one lane of traffic.

The work surrounds the Hereford St emergency exits, which will have to partially close at times.

To meet fire regulations the council can only have 50 staff per floor on levels two to six while the panels are removed, council head of property and facilities Bruce Rendall said.

The building usually houses about 1500 staff.

Interim chief executive Bede Carran said some concrete panels had been identified as being earthquake-prone, with a low to moderate risk of failure in a moderate earthquake.

The annex, which led to the May 2025 evacuation, was added on to the building during extensive redevelopment in 2009/10.

The work had been scheduled to begin later this year but, because it affected the emergency exits, the council asked for it to be brought forward to eliminate risk to staff and the public.

Carran said the public areas could still be accessed as normal and residents could be reassured there would be “absolutely no drop” in any council services while the work was happening.

Staff could return to the building once the panels had been removed and fire exits were accessible from all floors, he said.

Some temporary cladding and weatherproofing work would continue on Hereford St until the end of September.

Remaining strengthening work was expected to continue into 2027.

The building is jointly owned by Ngāi Tahu Property Ltd and the council, via its company Civic Building Ltd (CBL).

Rendall said the most recent advice available indicated the total cost would be $19.9m, up $700,000 from the $19.2m estimated in May.

“Independent quantity surveying advice confirms that rates for this work are consistent with comparable seismic strengthening projects across the city,” he said.

Some of the concrete panels are deemed hazardous in an earthquake.

There would be no impact on ratepayers because the council was not responsible for funding the building owner’s seismic strengthening works, he said.

The council-owned CBL would fund its share from existing and future earnings, as was standard practice for commercial property owners, Rendall said in May.

“Importantly, this work will not affect rents or operating costs for the council as a tenant, and there is no impact on ratepayers. The costs sit with the building owners, not the occupants or the wider community.”