ANZ, BNZ, Westpac consider lending implications of new quake standards

Banks are mulling a proposed shake-up of earthquake resilience standards for buildings. (Image: Getty)

Thu, 02 Oct 2025

Three of New Zealand’s biggest banks have yet to come to grips with what the proposed new earthquake-prone building standards will mean for lending.ANZ, the country’s largest bank by assets, BNZ, the second-largest, and Westpac, the fourth-largest, all said it was too early to determine the precise implications of the refocused standards.Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk’s new Building (Earthquake-prone Building System Reform) Amendment Bill was designed to introduce a fairer, risk-based system.‘Reviewing the...

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