Christchurch City Council Media Advisory
Christchurch Earthquake - Building Demolition and Heritage Advice
12.30pm Tuesday 7 September
It is likely to be necessary to demolish two inner city buildings later today.
We are not able to give specific times for any possible demolition.
Media are not allowed inside the cordon unaccompanied, however both sites can be viewed clearly from the edge of the
cordon.
Former New Zealand Express Co. Building / MLC Building 160 Manchester Street (corner of Hereford and Manchester
Streets) Seven storey building. Christchurch City Plan Group 2; New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category 1.
Constructed 1906. Screen resolution image available. Go to: North side cordon
Heritage information on the building is available online at: http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResultsas px?RID=5307=advanced
Cecil House / Country Theme
68-76 Manchester Street (corner St Asaph and Manchester Streets)
Two storey building.
Christchurch City Plan Group 3. ; not listed by New Zealand Historic
Places Trust
Neo-classical style.
Constructed 1877.
Screen resolution image available.
Go to: South side cordon
Heritage information on Cecil House is available on request.
Heritage advice for residents and businesses follows below
For further information, please refer to the Christchurch City Council website www.ccc.govt.nz.
Heritage buildings and structures - advice for building owners following the Christchurch earthquake
Christchurch City Council is working with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) to provide advice for heritage
building owners following the earthquake. Please bear with us as we establish systems that enable us to quickly respond
to queries.
What should I do regarding damaged and potentially unsafe chimneys?
Many heritage and character buildings have chimneys that may be potentially unsafe following the earthquake and
aftershocks. Be careful if you are attempting to inspect the damage or make it safe yourself.
Please follow these guidelines:
- Take photographs
Carefully make it safe - secure, or where this is not possible, remove
it - Make weather tight to avoid further damage and costs
- Keep the materials stored on site
What should I do if my heritage building has been damaged?
Many buildings that appear damaged can be repaired. Building owners should seek professional advice to inform
decisions. There should be no pre-emptive clearing or removal of heritage buildings or structures. Safety is of utmost
importance, however we also wish to retain heritage buildings in the city.
Where there has been structural damage owners will need to obtain an assessment by a structural engineer and are also
advised to consult a heritage professional for advice.
Ensure that you take photographs of any damage, an accurate photographic record will be needed for insurance claims and
also to support repairs and rebuilding.
Prior to undertaking any work advice must be sought from Christchurch City Council or the NZHPT.
Best practice guidelines are available on the NZHPT website http://www.historic.org.nz/Publications/SustainMgtSeries.aspx
What about consents and permissions?
Where urgent work is necessary to ensure the safety of buildings and structures resource consents and other permissions
can be dealt with retrospectively. Advice should be sought from Christchurch City Council and the NZHPT prior to
commencing any work.
Where can I get advice?
Due to the large number of enquiries not all can be responded to immediately however systems have been established to
enable prompt handling of any queries. To log a request or query please contact Christchurch City Council by email on heritage@ccc.govt.nz or the NZHPT on InfoSouthern@historic.org.nz.
The NZHPT, Councils and ICOMOS New Zealand are currently compiling a list of heritage specialists who may be able to
provide advice. This will be available over the coming days.
What is happening to heritage buildings that have suffered severe damage? Will these be demolished?
Many buildings that appear to have suffered significant damage can be repaired, more detailed assessment is required to
inform decisions. There should be no pre-emptive demolition undertaken by building owners in advance of full structural
assessment and advice from Christchurch City Council.
In order to ensure safety it may be necessary to move materials where these have fallen on the pavement or road,
however all materials should be kept on the site where possible so these may be used to repair or rebuild. Where
parapets or other large structures are unsafe removal of these may be agreed by Christchurch City Council following full
structural assessment
What is happening to materials removed from Heritage Building?
Materials should be stored on the site where possible. Where large amounts of materials need to be removed, space is
being made available at Council sites to ensure stone and other materials are available for reuse and rebuilding.
Members of the public should not under any circumstances remove material from the site of a heritage building.
ends