Quake fears shut Masterton court | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Masterton's 101-year-old district court building has been abruptly closed, after being judged an earthquake risk.

The Ministry of Justice ordered the indefinite closure of the courthouse from yesterday morning, which forced criminal proceedings for the day into a makeshift room at Masterton Police Station.

The building is one of six to have been closed by the ministry, pending earthquake strengthening work that is expected to take up to a year.

The Chief District Court Judge yesterday issued orders stopping hearings at Masterton, Upper Hutt, Feilding, Rangiora, Oamaru and Balclutha.

The Justice Ministry's acting deputy secretary for courts, Robert Pigou, said although there was no imminent danger, staff and court user safety was a priority, "so the Ministry has acted on information received from engineering experts".

Mr Pigou said the Christchurch earthquakes had prompted a check of all ministry buildings, and seven including the six active courthouses had been judged "at higher-risk of partial or full collapse in a significant seismic event".

None of the buildings was more risky than last week or 10 years ago, Mr Pigou said: "But we now have information from experts that quantifies the risk and the remedial work required.

"This work can't be done while buildings are occupied."

Masterton criminal cases scheduled for December have been adjourned until the new year, in the hope that by then an alternative venue can be found in Masterton.

"We've taken the decision that it's a long hike into Wellington," Ministry of Justice spokesman Steve Corbett said.

Non-criminal matters have temporarily been transferred to Wellington District Court.

Mr Corbett said court staff have been given paid leave, but many had come in to move files and whatever.

Carterton-based lawyer Jock Blathwayt said he was surprised that the courthouse was "now a risk, when it survived the 1942 earthquake".

"It had some bits shaved off, but St Matthews Church next door [to the police station where court proceedings were shifted] was flattened to rubble. However, we're stuck with what the engineers have decided."

Masterton Mayor Garry Daniell expressed his indignation at the sudden closure.

"One would have thought that the imminent collapse of the courthouse could have been dealt with given more notice," Mr Daniell said.