Temporary service centre opens in Beckenham

Christchurch City Council opened a temporary service centre on the site of the closed South Library and Beckenham Service Centre this morning (Monday 1 October).

The temporary Beckenham Service Centre opened at 9am today. It will open from 9am-5pm on weekdays.

General Manager Public Affairs Lydia Aydon says the public will be able to access all the services that the Beckenham Service Centre offered before its closure in July this year. The Council closed the  building following a Detailed Engineering Evaluation (DEE) which showed it had a seismic capacity of less than 34 percent of the New Building Standard (NBS).*

“We know that the community has greatly missed the service centre since its closure so we are pleased to be able to offer a temporary solution that will ensure people can access all the usual services, including making rates payments and applying for rates rebates, paying dog registrations and accessing drainage plans,” she says.

Temporary repair and earthquake strengthening work is to be carried out on the closed South Library and Beckenham Service Centre, with the facility expected to re-open by the end of this year.

The work, which will include the installation of steel propping and additional beams and plates to strengthen the building, will increase its seismic capacity to at least 34 percent of the NBS, ensuring it is no longer considered to be earthquake-prone.

For more information about other service centres that are open, visit www.ccc.govt.nz or call 941 8999 (0800 800 169 ).

* All Council-owned buildings that are assessed as being below 34 percent of the New Building Standard are closed, in line with an agreed approach by elected members.