### ODT Online Sun, 4 Mar 2012
University to hear quake-test update
By Matthew Haggart
University of Otago staff will learn next week how the institution’s historic buildings, including the landmark clock tower and registry buildings, are likely to fare in the event of a major earthquake. A private forum – off-limits to students, the general public and media – will be held in the College of Education auditorium at noon on Tuesday to update staff on the earthquake evaluation assessments of the university’s buildings. Hosted by Otago vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne, the forum will include an explanation of several engineering reports commissioned to assess a “first group” of buildings.
Read more
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Earthquake evaluations (via ODT)
University of Otago Buildings which required secondary assessment:
– Registry and clock tower building, 364 Leith Walk
– Geology building (registry complex), 360 Leith Walk
– Staff Club building, 80 Union Pl West
– Lindo Ferguson Building (School of Medicine), 270 Great King St
– Scott Building (School of Medicine), 260 Great King St
– Cumberland College, 250 Castle St
– Arts Building, 95 Albany St
– St David 2 Building, 75 St David St
[For better or worse, is Norris the right man…]
• The forum is scheduled to open with a short talk by Prof Richard Norris, of the geology department, about earthquake hazard in Dunedin and the likelihood of such an event.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
St David 2??? Was only constructed in the last 10 years!
Wonder how it sits in relation to its neighbour?
Why don’t they just demolish all their buildings over ten years old? That way if the earthquake does come – before the Global Warming, or even after – then they can feel justified for not endangering the lives of all the students who didn’t come to the university because there were no buildings. However, it gives Prof. Norris his ten minutes of fame and that can’t be bad. I sometimes wonder where the so called intelligentsia come from with their ambivalence to the real world. What about the law of probability over the risks of doing nothing, as opposed to the capital investment relative to those risks? Has the world shrunk so far into its politically correct health and safety funk, that it will eventually not get out of bed in the morning lest it it become the victim of an avalanche of ‘corn flakes’? I can hear the rushing feet of the consultants as I speak. Slap a tax on ‘corn flakes’ they will scream and the ivory tower residents will all kneel down and give thanks to whoever it is you give thanks to at these moments.
This list provides details of all buildings at the Dunedin campus registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) for their historic heritage value. Registered historic buildings are also included in Schedule 25.1 of the Dunedin City District Plan, which affords them greater protection under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Sore knee’s here…
### ODT Online Wed, 7 Mar 2012
$50m worth of quake work for uni
By Matthew Haggart
A University of Otago plan for a $50 million earthquake-strengthening programme to upgrade several of its landmark heritage buildings was unveiled to staff yesterday. The “seismic forum” to update staff (about 300 attended) on the university’s eight-year plan to strengthen its at-risk campus buildings was off-limits to students, the public and media. Eight of the university’s buildings, including six registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, have been prioritised for assessment. Earthquake strengthening has already been completed at residential hall Cumberland College.
Read more + ODT Graphic
Good News: The University of Otago is working to compile a Heritage Strategy for the Dunedin campus.