With the adoption of Plan Change 9, the District Plan now includes a requirement for most types of buildings in the Rotorua Geothermal System to submit to council, at the same time as a building consent application, an assessment of geothermal hazards and mitigation (Rule NH-R8).
The assessment is to be prepared by a suitably qualified and experienced person. The intention is that this assessment will encourage broad consideration of how to manage geothermal hazards. Completing the assessment should also assist to address the requirements of the Building Code.
The Geothermal Hazard Guidelines are intended to support the preparation of these assessments, providing guidance on key matters including how to identify hazard, potential options for mitigation, who should be involved in assessing the hazard and designing mitigation options.
These Guidelines are a must read for anyone in the Rotorua construction industry, or anyone considering building, extending or renovating in the Rotorua district, and have been developed to help people better understand the risks and the requirements of working in a geothermal environment.
Ultimately we want to help local construction industry create developments that are safe, healthy and comfortable for our community.
