New Zealand's earthquake-prone building (EPB) framework is set for its most significant overhaul in a decade. The Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament in December 2025, proposes sweeping changes that will reshape how buildings are identified, assessed, and remediated, with around half of the ~5,240 buildings currently on the EPB register expected to be removed.
The webinar addresses what these changes mean for building owners, engineers, and industry practitioners, including:
- A narrowed scope: why the system is shifting focus to unreinforced masonry and multi-storey concrete buildings in medium and high seismic zones, and why regions like Auckland and Northland are being removed entirely
- The end of %NBS for EPB classification: how a new characteristics-based assessment approach will replace the current rating system and what that looks like in practice
- Reduced regulatory burden: changes to secondary compliance requirements, priority building status, and new deadline extension provisions
- What stays the same: the ongoing role of %NBS for non-EPB buildings and how market-driven forces will continue to shape seismic upgrade decisions
- Implications for Wellington — a closer look at what this means for one of New Zealand's highest seismic risk centres, with ~600 EPBs on the register and strengthening deadlines looming
Whether you're a building owner navigating compliance or a property professional assessing risk, this session will give you the clarity you need ahead of the expected changes.
Speaker
- Daniel Lehn, Senior Associate and Chartered Structural Engineer, Maynard Marks