Why was Standards New Zealand established?

On February 3, 1931 the Hawkes Bay region was struck by the worst earthquake in New Zealand’s history.  The quake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale.  The death toll was 258, fire spread throughout Napier and Hastings, major Napier buildings and landmarks were completely destroyed, areas of coastline were dislodged and the landscape changed forever.  Following this disaster, Standards New Zealand was established to ensure future such events did not result in the same loss of life.
 
Following the development of the first earthquake Standard in 1932, there are now over 650 building-related New Zealand Standards.  Many provide guidance for designers and builders on how to comply with the Building Code – all of which benefit industry and New Zealand communities.

Today Standards New Zealand has a catalogue of nearly 3000 Standards covering a wide range of topics including: health and disability, sport and recreation, energy efficiency, fire safety, and fertility services to name a few.