Annexe almost as strong as new court

Anne Stevens.
Anne Stevens.
A large portion of Dunedin's mothballed historic courthouse is almost as strong as a brand new building, but will not have services returned to it in the immediate future.

The historic Stuart St comlex includes a large 'annexe', built in 2003. That annexe has an earthquake rating of 85%-100% new building standards (NBS), an engineering report shows.

That is almost comparable to the city's $6.8 million temporary courthouse - rated at 100% NBS.

The High St temporary courthouse was initially given an NBS rating of 75% by engineers in a 2012 detailed seismic assessment, released under the Official Information Act.

However, building owners Spectra Ltd commissioned strengthening work following that report, taking the building's earthquake rating to 100% NBS.

But despite calls from Dunedin lawyers that services return to the safe, newer parts of the historic complex, the Ministry of Justice says that will not happen.

Most of Dunedin's court services have been housed in two buildings, in High St and Princes St, since May because of the earthquake risk of the city's historic courthouse's tower.

The historic tower rated just 15% to 20% (NBS) in the ministry's 2011 Opus engineering report into the building's earthquake durability.

Buildings with a NBS rating below 34% are considered an earthquake risk.

The rest of the 1903 portion of the Stuart St site was rated at 35% to 45%, and the CIB Building on Dunbar St was rated 45% to 50%.

The historic court house's annex included a considerable number of Dunedin's court services, including:

  • The family court
  • Three hearing rooms
  • Tenancy Tribunal
  • Disputes Tribunal
  • Family office
  • Civil office
  • Marriages office
  • Administration offices

Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens said it was clear some court services should move back to the annexe.

"Clearly it's a better option for the Family Court. It's purpose designed and it keeps [children and criminals] private and separate."

"It's a crying shame we can't use it. It seems a complete waste, which is my view in respect of the entire building."

Mrs Stevens said the ministry moving services out of the historic complex before it had even committed to strengthening work was "backwards".

"We should be using it right up until the first workman comes in with his toolbag to do the minimum necessary to make the strengthening standards.

"It is being approached from the wrong end. We've already moved out but there's no plan to do the work."

The vice-president of the New Zealand Criminal Bar Association (NZCBA) Len Andersen said the NBS ratings highlighted what the legal community already knew.

"There's no safety reason why it can't be used. We knew that there were no safety issues.

"We're working in more cramped conditions than we used to and the minister has given no reason why we can't have the benefit of the three court rooms in Stuart St [which were in use until May this year]."

But despite the annexe's high earthquake rating services would not be returning in the foreseeable future, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said yesterday.

The historic courthouse was seen "as a whole, rather than as a series of buildings", and that "whole" needed to be strengthened.

If that strengthening work did happen, the entire complex would need to be vacated during construction, so the Ministry had worked to find replacement facilities.

Strengthening of the historic courthouse could take up to three years "and it would be impractical and dangerous to undertake strengthening work in an occupied or even partially occupied building''.

That was why services were now being held elsewhere.

A business case detailing the work needed at the historic courthouse was expected to be completed next month.

The detailed seismic assessments that would provide more accurate information on the historic courthouse's seismic rating were not able to be released as they were subject to the business case and were commercially sensitive.

This report was headlined 'Annexe safer than new court'. This information, from a 2012 engineering report into the High St building's strength, was superseeded by a newer 2015 report, which was missed by the ODT.

Following the 2012 report the High St building's owners commisioned strengthening works, completed in 2013.

Those works took the building's strength up to 100% NBS. The ODT apologises to the Ministry of Justice and to the High St building's owner for the incorrect report as published.

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