By Don Farmer
Any decision on legal action which may be invoked by Lands Trust Masterton over a cluster of commercial buildings found to have fallen short of seismic design standards is a long way off, trust chairwoman Leanne Southey says.
Ms Southey was asked whether the Trust was planning to sue Masterton District Council over inspectorate staff signing off the 11 suspect buildings all designed by the same Palmerston North-based structural engineering firm.
Detailed assessments have determined six buildings, three being declared earthquake prone, are below New Building Standards.
The other five have been identified on an initial assessment as being potentially below the seismic design standard.
Ms Southey said the trustees were “miles away” from deciding on their next move as far as legal action was concerned.
“There’s quite a lot of work yet to be done.”
She said in any event any pending discussion regarding the buildings would take place at a trust meeting with the press and public excluded.
District council spokesman Sam Rossiter-Stead said should the trust take legal action against the council and succeed then it would not be at the ratepayers’ expense, as the council was fully insured for such an eventuality.
