A Westport business has been forced to relocate after engineers identified its premises as earthquake-prone.

The building, known as the Efanjay complex, is occupied by Westport's I-Site and was inspected last week by engineers who found sections of the complex did not meet the building code.

The building is co-owned by Buller Mayor Pat McManus and Peter Campbell, who said today that I-Site would vacate the premises as soon as possible.

The Westport I-Site is operated by the Buller Promotions Association, which is working with the Buller District Council to relocate to a new site.

Other businesses within the complex were not at risk, Campbell said.

Council manager of community and environmental services Craig Scanlon said the council would write to all Buller building owners whose buildings were potentially quake-prone.

The letters will ask all building owners to commission engineers to undertake seismic assessments.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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