26 Sep 2012

Regional council to abandon quake-deficient Wellington HQ

6:50 pm on 26 September 2012

Wellington Regional Council is leaving its central city building and will not move back in, because it's too expensive to bring it up to earthquake standard.

The council is moving to the Wellington waterfront, after assessing sites around the region.

Its chair, Fran Wilde, says its current building is only 30% of the current code for a building of its type and it's not economic to strengthen it.

She says given the uncertainties about the future shape of councils in the region, it is better to rent space in CentrePort.