Churches (and most specifically unreinforced masonry (URM) churches) have proven to be highly vulnerable
to earthquakes because of their particular construction characteristics. Consequently, it is critical for New
Zealand to advance the data collection, research and understanding pertaining to the seismic performance
and protection of church buildings, with the aim to promote conservation of churches and church precincts,
public safety, and community wellbeing. With specific reference to the case study of the Anglican Diocese of
Waikato and Taranaki, this project aims to define an holistic approach for assessing the seismic vulnerability
of churches and the effectiveness of seismic retrofit interventions that respect the key principles,
conservation philosophy and best practice set by the ICOMOS New Zealand Charter for New Zealand.