25 Sep 2024
A timeline of key events in the complaint against Dr Alan Reay, who owned the company that designed the CTV Building.
The CTV building was designed by Alan Reay Consultants and collapsed in the Christchurch Earthquake of 22 February 2011, tragically claiming 115 lives. The Department of Building and Housing (superseded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) raised a complaint with Engineering New Zealand (then IPENZ) that Dr Reay breached his professional obligations, based on findings from the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of Inquiry.
The complaint alleges the employee engaged by Dr Reay to perform the design work lacked the necessary experience to design buildings like the CTV Building, and that Dr Reay knew this but failed to adequately supervise his employee.
Below is a timeline of key events in these proceedings.
Separate to this complaint, a Police investigation concluded in November 2017 that there would be no criminal prosecution in relation to the collapse of the CTV building.
|
1986 |
CTV building designed by an engineer employed by Alan Reay Consultants Ltd (at the time, both Dr Reay and the engineer were Registered Engineers under the Engineers Registration Act 1924 and Professional Members of IPENZ) |
|
September 1986 |
Building permit for CTV Building approved by Christchurch City Council |
|
January 2003 |
Engineers Registration Act 1924 repealed and replaced by Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002. |
|
February 2011 |
Christchurch earthquake and collapse of the CTV Building |
|
April 2011 |
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of inquiry appointed |
|
August – December 2012 |
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission report released |
|
December 2012 |
Department of Building and Housing complains to IPENZ about Dr Reay. The complaint proceeds under IPENZ's membership rules since the CPEng Act and Rules do not apply |
|
May 2013 |
Investigating Committee appointed |
|
February 2014 |
Dr Reay resigns his membership of IPENZ |
|
April 2014 |
Investigating Committee issues its decision dismissing the complaint on thebasis that Dr Reay is no longer a member of IPENZ |
|
March 2015 |
IPENZ changes its Member Rules to allow disciplinary processes to continue despite a member's resignation |
|
March 2015 |
The Attorney General, on behalf of MBIE, brings judicial review proceedings against IPENZ and Dr Reay in relation to the Investigating Committee was wrong to dismiss it |
|
October 2017 |
IPENZ changes its name to Engineering New Zealand |
|
December 2018 |
High Court issues its decision on the judicial review proceeedings, declaring IPENZ had jurisdiction to hear MBIE's complaint about Dr Reay and the Investigating Committee was wrong to dismiss it. |
|
February 2019 |
Dr Reay appeals the High Court's decision to the Court of Appeal |
|
October 2019 |
Court of Appeal upholds the High Court's decision |
|
May 2022 |
Investigating Committee issues decision (confidential to the parties), referring the complaint to a disciplinary committee. |
|
June 2022 |
Disciplinary Committe appointed |
|
March 2023 |
Disciplinary Committee sets the hearing date for the complaint against Dr Reay (21 – 22 August, Christchurch) |
|
May 2023 |
Dr Reay seeks judicial review of Engineering New Zealand's process |
|
September 2023 |
Judicial review heard in Wellington High Court (Monday 4 September) |
|
October 2023 |
High Court dismisses request for judicial review |
|
December 2023 |
Disciplinary Committee hears the complaint against Dr Reay (4 – 6 December, Christchurch) |
|
September 2024 |
Disciplinary Committee upholds complaint against Dr Reay (25 September) |
|
October 2024 |
Dr Reay requests an appeal of the Disciplinary Committee's decision to Engineering New Zealand |
Background
CTV Complaint Disciplinary Hearing, 4–5 December (8 November 2023)
High Court dismisses request for judicial review (3 October 2023)
Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission
The CTV Building, Royal Commission and Complaints (10 February 2021)
