The buildings include halls, historic buildings, commercial premises, council depots, public toilets and sports rooms.
They have been identified using a new national system based on public safety.
The council is keen to talk to affected communities about the use of the buildings and options to strengthen them.
Some council buildings are already on a programme of repair and strengthening, funded by insurance money and Lottery New Zealand grants.
A district-wide rate introduced last year will go toward future work, but external funding is needed to keep the district-wide rates burden as low as possible.
Chief strategy and community officer Judith Batchelor says many of the buildings are important to their communities.
''We want those communities to be involved in shaping the outcome.
''Addressing 29 earthquake-prone buildings is going to be expensive, but it's necessary under the Building Amendment Act and will improve the district's resilience and safety,'' she says.
Those assessed as earthquake prone are the Kowai Council Chambers, four buildings at the former Culverden chambers and depot, the Hawarden Community War Memorial Hall, the Waiau Memorial Hall and Library, two buildings at the Waikari Depot, the Waikari Memorial Hall, building 1 in the Cadman St Playgroup Reserve in Cheviot, the Parnassus Hall, the sports pavilion in the Scargill Motunau Reserve, the Waipara Memorial Hall, the soldiers' block and nurses' hostel at the Queen Mary Hospital Historic Reserve in Hanmer Springs, and the War Memorial Hall/Library, also in Hanmer Springs.
Those listed as potentially earthquake prone are the kitchen in the Leithfield Beach Reserve, the pavilion and toilets at the Culverden and Rutherford Recreation Reserves, Watter Cob Cottage in Flintoft Reserve in Rotherham, the cob cottage in the Waiau Historical Reserve, the toilet/kitchen/laundry complex and public toilets in the Waikari Recreation Reserve, the toilets at the Motunau Beach Camping Ground, the changing room and clubrooms at the Omihi Reserve, the old pavilion and public toilets in the Hanmer Sports Reserve, the toilets in the Amberley Reserve, the Powerhouse Cafe building in Hanmer Springs, and the boiler house at the Queen Mary Hospital Historic Reserve.
