Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson, says changes to the rules on earthquake-prone buildings will need to strike a balance between the cost of upgrading them and maintaining public safety.
The Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment is recommending councils identify all earthquake-prone commercial and high rise residential buildings within five years and that owners have a further 10 years to make them safe or pull them down.
Mr Williamson is encouraging people to make submissions to the Government on what they would like to happen.
The minister said it must be remembered that earthquakes have killed 483 people in the last 170 years compared to the 37,000 people who have died in road accidents over the same period.
