15 Jul 2014

Warning after engineer expelled

10:24 pm on 15 July 2014

People with buildings designed by the engineer who oversaw the design of the original Stadium Southland are being warned to have their structures checked.

Anthony Major on Tuesday was expelled by the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) after being found negligent, following the collapse of the building during a snowstorm in September 2010.

Mr Major was responsible for the original design of the building, which had to be altered during its construction after the roof began to sag. He also oversaw those changes and signed them off.

The redesign failed during the snowstorm and the disciplinary committee says several people in the building at the time could have been killed.

The IPENZ committee said that Anthony Major's actions were negligent and he acted incompetently, potentially causing loss of life. It advised everyone who had a building designed by him to get it checked.

IPENZ chief executive Andrew Cleland told Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme on Tuesday it is impossible to determine the number of buildings Mr Major was involved with.

"One of the other things that the committee found was that his record-keeping and the way he operated his practice was quite casual. So they determined that in fact it should be done by public notice."

Adverts would be taken out in Southland and Otago newspapers and building consent authorities are also being notified.

IPENZ said the Invercargill City Council would be the best source for finding out how many buildings Mr Major has been involved with.