The New Zealand government plans to investigate fire safety provisions in the Building Code – the first full review in more than a decade. It comes after all fire safety recommendations from the review following the fatal Loafers Lodge fire in 2023 were completed.
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said it was an important milestone, “which will reduce the chances of a tragedy like that happening again”. Five people were killed and five injured in the fire at the Wellington boarding house, which was not protected with sprinklers – and did not legally have to be. It had originally been constructed as a warehouse, before undergoing multiple changes in use. After the incident, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment inspected similar properties throughout the country, finding almost all buildings had at least one fire safety issue.
These included:
• Inadequate fire and smoke separations (including fire and smoke stop doors) – this was the most common issue found;
• Obstructed or inadequate escape routes;
• Missing, misleading or illegible exit signs to help evacuations in the case of a fire;
• Issues with fire alarm systems, for example parts of the system (smoke detectors) were missing or provided inadequate coverage of the building or were unmonitored by the fire service or compromised in some way.
Penk said the government was now prioritising a full review to improve fire safety in all buildings. It wanted to ensure the fire safety provisions in the Building Code “keep pace with changes in urban design and modern methods of construction”, he said.
“The way we build has changed significantly in the last decade. “Newly evolving products and technologies are adding complexities to buildings, which have implications for fire safety and firefighting.” A discussion document has been released and submissions close at 5pm on 6 December.
