Following the passing of the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2026 in September, MBIE has now released the draft Earthquake-prone Building Legislation and Methodology Guidance for consultation. It sets out how the new EPB system will be applied in practice and will replace the practical function of the 2017 EPB Methodology. Consultation closes Friday, 4 December 2026.
NZSEE will be making a submission with more details to follow next week.
The guidance is organised in two parts. Part 1 covers determining a building’s EPB status and category. Part 2 explains the process for identifying, validating, remediating and removing an EPB from the EPB Register. Two technical annexes accompany the guidance: High-Risk Deficiencies in Category B Buildings (Annex 1) and Remediating Earthquake-Prone Buildings (Annex 2).
Key dates
- 12 November: MBIE public webinar, Overview of the EPB System changes
- 4 December: MBIE consultation closes
- Early 2027: formal consultation on secondary legislation
- 1 July 2027: new EPB system commences in full
You’re also welcome to make your own submission directly to MBIE.
Attached
- Draft Earthquake-prone Building Legislation and Methodology Guidance
- Annex 1: High-Risk Deficiencies in Category B Buildings
- Annex 2: Remediating Earthquake-Prone Buildings
- MBIE media release (27 October 2026)
, MBIE is running a series of webinars and in-person workshops for engineers.
Webinars
| Webinar | Date and time | Registration link |
| EPB System Overview and Unreinforced Masonry Buildings | Monday 2 November, 11am–12:30pm | Register here |
| Tall, Heavy Buildings and High-Risk Deficiencies | Thursday 5 November, 11am–12:30pm | Register here |
| Public webinar providing an overview of the Earthquake-prone Building (EPB) System changes | Thursday 12 November, 11am–12pm | Register here |
Recordings of the online webinars will be available here once MBIE has published them.
In-person workshops
These workshops will take a more detailed look at the risk settings underpinning the new system and what they will mean for engineering practice. Ken Elwood, Chief Engineer Building Resilience, and Andrew Thompson, Technical Director at Holmes, will work through a range of examples and explore the new approaches.
Session dates and locations:
| Date | Location |
| Wednesday 11 November | Wellington |
| Wednesday 18 November | Dunedin |
| Thursday 19 November | Christchurch |
Venues and times are yet to be confirmed. If you are interested in attending an in-person workshop, please contact the MBIE team on building@mbie.govt.nz.
