Nelson Courthouse is being vacated for up to three to four months from Sunday (February 23) for seismic strengthening, prompting changes to the way court services are delivered in the region.
The findings of an Initial Seismic Assessment, received by the Ministry of Justice in recent days, assessed the Nelson Courthouse as being at 15 percent of New Building Standard (NBS).
While engineers found the courthouse could continue to be occupied, the connection between the original courthouse and a building extension added in 2007 was a safety concern.
On that basis, the Ministry believes it is prudent to vacate the entire complex while remediation work is carried out.
“Our plan is to complete the remediation work as quickly and as safely as possible to enable normal operations at the courthouse to resume,” Ministry of Justice chief operating officer Carl Crafar says.
Addressing this potential critical structural weakness will improve the building’s performance in the event of a significant earthquake.
“Protecting the safety of everyone who spends time in the building – including members of the public, the judiciary and staff is our highest priority,” Mr Crafar says.
The Ministry is already in detailed planning to minimise the impact on court operations.
“Some scheduled court events will continue virtually while some other events may need to be rescheduled. Anyone who is expected to attend court during the remediation work period should await instruction from court officials,” Mr Crafar says.
An update on when the courthouse will reopen to the public will be made in due course.