27 Jul 2013

Steel brackets temporary fix- council

9:49 pm on 27 July 2013

The Wellington City Council says steel brackets being used to secure a leaning external lift shaft in central Wellington are intended only as a temporary measure.

The 10-storey structure is a remnant of an unfinished building project from 20 years ago.

Emergency work continued on Saturday to secure the lift shaft, which broke free from the James Smith car park in last Sunday's 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

Council manager of earthquake resilience Neville Brown says the brackets will last for years, but it is up to the building owners to find a permanent solution.

Mr Brown says the council has a number of measures available to it, to ensure the owners pay to repair, or demolish the shaft.