Canterbury funding goes towards quake inspections

10:42 am on 29 April 2017

North Canterbury buildings damaged in last November's earthquake are undergoing detailed seismic inspections due to be completed within two months.

North Canterbury farmers Bob and Vicki Todhunter lost their 1902 villa in the November 2016 earthquake, when a fault ruptured beneath it.

Some buildings in northern Canterbury were heavily damaged in the November earthquake. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal

The work is being done using part of $2.5 million in new government funding for the Hurunui, Kaikōura and Marlborough district councils to meet quake costs.

Hurunui council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he expected their share to be $1 million, which would help pay for two extra building officers to do checks.

"We're now working through the process with approx 300 red and yellow stickered buildings in our district, doing a further assessment of those buildlings," he said.

"We hope to have that completed in about 8 weeks and that will clarify the legal status of those buildings."

Mr Dobbie said the extra money would also deal with any backlog of building consents and pay for extra work, such as applications to put in log burners, which are up by 65 percent.

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