Kaikoura Earthquake Recovery

At 12:02am on 14 November 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 15km north-east of Culverden, North Canterbury. The rupture involved more than 25 individual faults over a combined length of about 180km, making it one of the most complex earthquakes ever recorded in New Zealand.

The impacts were widespread:

• Over 10,000 landslides with rockfall causing severe damage to transport networks and utilities, particularly along State Highway 1 either side of Kaikōura, disrupting agriculture and tourism.

• Severe lateral spreading occurred in areas adjacent to Lyell Creek.

• Liquefaction impacted low-lying rural areas in the Kaikoura District and parts of Marlborough and Wellington where there was strong ground shaking intensity.

• Partial collapse and significant damage to several buildings in Wellington.

• More than 45,000 insurance claims were lodged for property and land damage.

The scale of land instability and structural damage demanded urgent, expert assessment to guide safe repair and rebuild options.

Cook Costello rapidly mobilised a large team of geotechnical and structural engineers to support insurers, claim providers, and private property owners. Our work included:

• Assessing over 500 residential properties across Hurunui, Kaikōura, Marlborough, Tasman and Nelson.

• Completing structural damage assessments and designing repair or strengthening solutions for dozens of commercial and industrial buildings.

• Delivering hundreds of detailed geotechnical and structural reports to help progress claims efficiently.

• Providing practical recommendations for both land remediation and building repairs.
  

By combining technical expertise with in-house project management, Cook Costello delivered:

• Confidence for insurers and property owners through accurate, defensible assessments.

• Safe, tailored, and compliant repair solutions that responded to site-specific challenges.

• Timely claim resolution during one of New Zealand’s largest earthquake recovery programmes.
  

This large-scale, time-critical response highlights Cook Costello’s capability, commitment, and adaptability in helping communities recover from natural disasters.