Wellington’s central library remains closed nine weeks after an engineering report raised concerns about the building’s ability to withstand a potential earthquake – and the city’s mayor admitted that insurers will not cover the necessary fixes.
Wellington Mayor Justin Lester told RNZ that since insurance does not cover design flaws or build quality, insurers would not be liable for the cost of the repairs.
“There is no insurance claim on this building,” said Lester. “There’s been no structural damage to the building, any damage that occurred after 2016 was superficial and that was all fixed.”
In March, the library was closed indefinitely after an assessment found that the structure needed to be strengthened for seismic activity. RNZ reported that city councillors would be briefed on whether to strengthen or demolish the central library within the week.
In the meantime, the city has opened its first pop-up library branch to compensate. According to RNZ, the pop-up will have about 7,500 items on its shelves, with another 5,000 nearby and close to 200,000 available throughout the branch network.
