Like other councils in New Zealand, Ōpōtiki District Council is required to have a policy to ensure that buildings are safe for their intended use and setting out how the council will approach the issue – how council defines an unsafe or insanitary building, how they will be identified, and what actions the council will take.

This is called the Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy.

Ōpōtiki District Council has had a policy since 2006 and is required to review and update the policy every five years.

Environmental health and compliance manager Annette Munday said that consultation opened on August 6, and was a chance for the community to have its say on whether the policy in its current form was still meeting community expectations.

“Fundamentally, all of us want to make sure the buildings in our district are safe and not causing health or safety issues for those who work in and around them. And this policy sets the rules for how these buildings will be managed going forward.

“There aren’t any major changes to the existing policy – simply a few updates to terminology and changes to legislation in the last five years. But we’d appreciate feedback from the community on this.

“Particularly, anyone who wants to know how this might affect heritage buildings or building owners who think they may be impacted. Please visit our website to find out more,” Ms Munday said.