Engineering New Zealand is calling for fresh thinking about New Zealand’s seismic and water challenges.

In its leadership report, the professional body set out an engineering vision aimed at a healthier, more prosperous New Zealand – and the steps we must take to get there.

Engineering New Zealand president Dean Kimpton said Kiwis should deliver a more resilient and sustainable New Zealand that can thrive in the face of climate change, natural disasters and the effects of growing urbanisation.

“We need to aspire to more than being experts in post-event fixes,” he noted.

In the report, Engineering New Zealand calls for a new regulatory approach to existing buildings to better protect people from severe earthquakes. It also calls for a review on the designing of buildings – is it enough just to allow evacuation or should we be making buildings that have a life beyond a moderate earthquake? Additionally, it urges the community to place greater value on safe water.

Engineering New Zealand chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene, meanwhile, said it’s time for engineers to speak out and make their voice heard.

“Engineers work at the coalface of seismic and water issues,” she noted. “They’re best placed to work with our communities to identify and solve these challenges.”