Do I Need an Earthquake Gas Shutoff?
If you're asking this question, you likely manage or own a building that uses gas — and you've either been told you need an earthquake gas shutoff, or you've wondered whether the risk warrants one. This post works through the decision plainly.
Start with the building
The first question is straightforward: does your building use gas?
If yes — for heating, hot water, commercial cooking, or industrial processes — and that gas runs through internal pipework to reach appliances or equipment, you have exposure. The longer the internal gas run and the more floors it spans, the greater the risk in an earthquake.
If your building uses only electricity, or if gas enters at a single point and connects directly to an external appliance, the risk profile is different and automatic isolation may not be necessary.
What's the actual risk?
Gas pipework in a building runs from the street connection through internal walls, floor penetrations, and risers to reach its destination. In an earthquake, every joint and connection along that run is under stress. Pipes can loosen, joints can crack, and fittings can fail — even in earthquakes that cause limited structural damage.
When a gas pipe fails inside an occupied building, gas accumulates in enclosed spaces. Ignition sources are everywhere — emergency lighting, electrical equipment, vehicles at street level. A gas fire following an earthquake can destroy a building that the earthquake itself left standing.
The critical factor is time. Manual response — someone reaching a gas meter and turning it off — takes minutes at best, and in a real earthquake those minutes involve damaged roads, disoriented occupants, and overwhelmed emergency services. Automatic isolation happens in 10 milliseconds.
Do you have a legal obligation?
In New Zealand, the answer depends on your building type and how it's classified.
You likely have a clear obligation if:
- Your building is classified as earthquake-prone under the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016 — remediation obligations can extend to building services including gas
- Your building is a hospital, school, rest home, or other critical-use facility — NZS 1170.5 places these in the highest importance category
- Your building is a multi-storey apartment building with a body corporate — the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 places a duty of care on PCBUs to manage foreseeable risks, and post-earthquake gas leaks in a shared system are a foreseeable risk
You may have an obligation if:
- Your building engineer or insurer has identified gas safety as a risk management requirement
- Your building consent or resource consent includes seismic safety conditions covering building services
You probably don't have a strict legal obligation if:
- Your building is a small, single-tenancy commercial premises with a simple gas connection
- Your insurer hasn't raised it and no engineer has flagged it
However, the absence of a strict legal obligation doesn't mean the risk is absent. It means the decision is yours.
What does your insurer say?
This is worth checking directly. Commercial property insurers are increasingly attentive to building services risk management, particularly in seismically active regions. Some insurers require or recommend automatic gas isolation for multi-storey buildings. Others factor it into premium calculations or claim assessments.
If you haven't asked your insurer whether automatic earthquake gas isolation affects your cover or your obligations, it's worth a conversation.
What's involved in getting one installed?
If you decide to proceed, the process is straightforward:
- Identify your gas entry point — typically in the basement or ground floor plant room
- Contact us — we'll confirm the right variant (AC or DC) for your installation and provide pricing
- Engage a qualified electrical contractor — they install the MK6 and wire it to an automatic shutoff valve
- Commission the gas valve connection — in accordance with AS/NZS 5601.1
Lead time is typically one to six weeks. The MK6 is supplied direct from the manufacturer in New Zealand.
The short answer
If your building uses gas, has internal pipework spanning more than one floor, and is in a seismically active area of New Zealand or Australia — you should have an earthquake gas shutoff. The risk is real, the cost of installation is modest relative to the asset value you're protecting, and the alternative is relying on manual response in exactly the conditions where manual response is hardest.
If you're unsure whether your specific building warrants one, we're happy to have a straightforward conversation.