Experts praise earthquake risk changes

The Science Media Centre has expert reaction to the changes announced by the Government around earthquake building standards. Some extracts:

• “This review of the earthquake prone building system presents a good step forward” – senior lecturer, emergency management
• “The new law introduces a much simpler system to try to identify “the worst of the worst.” It is a compromise that considers economic factors, and uncertainty” – professor of civil engineering
• “The changes to the Earthquake-Prone Building system are a welcome improvement” – senior lecturer in civil engineering
• “The changes now planned in New Zealand move us closer to the international practices” – associate professor of property
• “The new earthquake prone building system significantly advances building resilience by encouraging owners to invest in their properties.” – senior lecturer in built environment engineering
• “The recently reviewed system addresses the challenges of the original framework and appears to be a significant improvement” – associate professor in structural and earthquake engineering
• “the new measures of assessment for EPB make a lot of sense in how they are structured” – professor of future environments

This might be the only announcement ever made by the government that has so many academics agreeing with it!