People applying for building consent after 29 November 2021 will need specifically designed foundations for buildings on ground identified as liquefaction-prone land.

Changes have been made to the New Zealand Building Code for dealing with liquefaction-prone land to ensure new buildings are built safe and strong enough to withstand liquefaction effects. 

When we receive a building consent (post 29 November 2021) each site will be considered on its own merits with the application having to contain enough geotechnical information to allow us to determine whether the proposed foundation design is appropriate for that site. 

The current ‘deemed to comply’ acceptable solutions, such as NZS3604 for foundations, are unlikely to be able to be used.

We have provided region-specific guidance. For more information visit our liquefaction-prone land web page.

Considerable additional information can also be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment web site.