ANZ, ASB close Lower Hutt branches due to earthquake risk

ANZ, ASB close Lower Hutt branches due to earthquake risk
Photo credit: Queensgate Shopping Centre

ANZ and ASB have decided to close branches at the Queensgate Shopping Centre in Lower Hutt due to earthquake risks.

Recent engineering reports show that three of the 10 buildings at the Lower Hutt mall are "seismically prone", meeting less than 34 percent of the standard for earthquake resilience.

ANZ closed its branch two days ago because it did not meet its standards for earthquake safety.

"We left the branch on Tuesday after a report showed the building did not meet our seismic guidelines," an ANZ spokesperson said.

The branch has moved all of its staff to its Lower Hutt and Petone branches.

ASB decided to close its Queensgate branch after seeing the engineering report, and it will close on Monday with team members will relocating to other sites in the region.

ASB general manager branch banking Amanda Young said: "We regret inconveniencing our customers at short notice but people's safety is paramount. We will communicate with affected customers directly about the change."

Stride Investments Limited, the long-term owner of the centre, voluntarily commissioned the engineering reports. Chief executive Philip Littlewood said the necessary work is a "relatively small cost" in comparison to the value of the centre.

He said the strengthening and repair work will cost "a few million dollars, but certainly not in the tens of million."

There are around 50 tenants within the three buildings, but Mr Littlewood said the "vast majority of tenants are not affected" at the centre. The work, on three separate parts of buildings, is expected to be fully completed within a year.

It's expected the buildings can remain open and tenants can continue trading, with much of the work being done in areas that customers do not enter or being completed at night.

Queensgate Mall was partially closed for five months after the November 2016 earthquake in Kaikōura, which damaged its cinema complex and car park.

Hutt City Council instructed the mall to urgently demolish its cinema complex and 300 carparks after it was deemed structurally unsafe.

Newshub.