Earthquake risk: Urgent Action is recommended to reduce risk at Whakatane Hospital

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GNS Science has located the exact location of the fault at Whakatāne. photo/file

by RNZ

Acute mental health facilities at Whakatane Hospital are under threat from newly identified earthquake risks, and the disintegration of government plans.

Council minutes reveal that Te Whatu Ora has obtained new information about the location of the earthquake’s fault line in the city, which means that the unit needs urgent work to keep it open.

A January committee report said it “wants work done to mitigate existing risks to patients”.

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The Council recommended the implementation of “urgent works”, but crossed out the proposed budget for the works.

The RNZ asked the health agency on Monday if it had done work, but it did not say.

Instead, it issued a statement on Monday that provided public assurance that “any seismic risks to health infrastructure are regularly assessed and updated.”

Risks in Whakatane included “structural” risks, according to the January minutes, but what those risks are still not clear.

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The report said the GNS report “provides revised information regarding the location of the Whakatāne fault line”.

“Management … has stated that there are risks with the Wactan site, and its ability to remain open may be at risk if not dealt with.”

GNS has known since at least 2016 that the bug occurred near the hospital but not the exact location.

Using high-resolution terrain data (LiDAR), current seismic reflectance data, and interpreting evidence from historical aerial imagery, GNS Science has [determined] The exact location of the fault,” he told RNZ on Tuesday.

The Whakatāne fault has an interval between tremors of less than 20,000 years which puts it in the most active category.

Building rules restrict how structures can be located near active faults.

If any questions about the fault location remain, “a set of possible fault sites is interpreted to determine the fault rupture zone. Then a fault avoidance zone is described,” GNS said.

Health NZ said the hospital’s main building was not affected.

Substandard working condition

The risk of error wasn’t just a problem for the mental health facility.

An entirely new unit was supposed to be built, as promised by the government in 2020, but not only did the new seismic information cast doubt on its location, its feasibility study proved substandard and had to be done again.

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“It is critical that Te Whatu Ora builds credibility with stakeholders so that we can effectively manage capital projects,” said the minutes of the board meeting from July 2022.

“The reputational and delivery risks are too high to proceed.”

She added that the business profile lacked detail.

“It remains unclear what regional needs assessment was done to give the committee f [Te Whatu Ora] The Board of Directors confirms that the project will meet the needs of the community.

I asked RNZ Te Whatu Ora, if there was anyone, they would be held responsible for the unusable business issue.

She responded that “the feasibility study is now being reconsidered and updated,” to go to the Minister of Health in the second half of 2023.

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The RNZ spoke to three local mental health providers yesterday, and none of them knew about the struggle that plans for a new unit were in.

Claire Bay, general manager of Pou Whakaro, a mental health provider in Whakatane, said the new unit was “definitely needed” because the current facility is so outdated.

A third obstacle to rebuilding has also emerged – financing.

The July minutes said there wasn’t enough money for both Whakatane and Tauranga to get a new acute mental health facility – both of which were promised in 2020 – so a choice had to be made.

The Capital Infrastructure Committee decided to look at the projects side by side “to assess the trade-offs because there are no funds available within the envelope to undertake both projects based on current information.

The process then goes “to the minister for a final decision”.

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Newspapers showed that by January this year, Tauranga was the favourite.

“Ministers have not made any final decisions on any of the businesses,” the office of Health Minister Ayesha Verral said on Monday.

Ministers expect to receive these business cases this year.

Ferral was asked about the dangers of earthquakes to patients, but he did not comment.

The third mental health rebuild promised as part of a $300 million injection into health infrastructure funding in 2020, at MidCentral, has also been plagued by major strife, so the budget has been delayed and has worried families of patients.

GNS released a new national seismic hazard model late last year that increased the shaking risk for many areas.

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