A Sensible Shift: New Zealand’s Seismic Reforms and What They Mean for Property Owners
New Zealand’s building landscape has just undergone one of its most significant regulatory shifts in years. The Government’s new reforms to the Earthquake-Prone Building (EPB) system mark a more pragmatic, risk-based approach to seismic safety — a move that balances public safety with economic sense.
Under the changes announced by Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, the legislation now focuses only on buildings that pose a genuine life-safety risk in medium- and high-seismic zones. Regions such as Auckland, Northland, and the Chatham Islands have been removed entirely from the EPB regime, recognising their very low seismic risk.
Auckland Is No Longer Classified as Earthquake-Prone
For Auckland property owners, this change is transformative. The old system’s New Building Standard (%NBS) metric — which classified buildings under 34% NBS as earthquake-prone — has been scrapped. Buildings once burdened with expensive strengthening obligations will now be assessed on actual risk, not arbitrary thresholds.
This means thousands of commercial and heritage properties, including many in the Viaduct Harbour, Parnell, and Ponsonby, are no longer subject to mandatory seismic upgrades. Owners can now redirect investment from compliance-driven retrofits toward strategic redevelopment, adaptive reuse, and sustainable upgrades that add real value.
The Government estimates these reforms could save building owners over $8.2 billion, freeing capital for more productive uses and revitalising regional and urban communities alike.
A More Targeted National Approach
While low-risk areas like Auckland benefit from deregulation, the new law keeps strong oversight where it’s truly needed — in high-risk regions such as Queenstown and the lower South Island. There, the focus will remain on multi-storey concrete buildings and unreinforced masonry structures.
This tiered system ensures resources go where they matter most — protecting life safety without overburdening communities or distorting property markets.
How D+DM Helps You Navigate the Change
At D+DM (Design & Development Management), we see these reforms not just as regulatory relief, but as an opportunity for intelligent reinvestment.
For property owners and investors, especially in Auckland and Northland, D+DM helps:
Unlock value in heritage and underutilised assets through adaptive reuse and redevelopment strategies.
Navigate planning and consent pathways efficiently now that seismic restrictions are relaxed.
Reposition buildings with sustainable upgrades aligned to market demand rather than outdated compliance rules.
For clients in Queenstown and other higher-risk zones, D+DM applies its seismic and heritage experience — proven on projects like Pearson House and Villa Maria Estate — to deliver cost-effective strengthening without compromising design integrity.
Turning Policy Change into Opportunity
The legislative shift shows that common sense and sound science can coexist. What once felt like an inflexible compliance system has evolved into a risk-based, proportionate framework — and D+DM is uniquely positioned to help owners, developers, and investors capitalise on it.
Read the Government’s announcement:
Earthquake-prone building system refocused(external link) – Beehive.govt.nz
Read the cabinet paper, cabinet minute, reports, and supporting analysis:
Proposed changes to the earthquake-prone building (EPB) system
Talk to us today about how these seismic reforms could reshape your property strategy.
D+DM — Design & Development Management
https://ddm.limited | +64 21 404 278 | mail@ddm.limited