The New Zealand International Conference Centre (NZICC) — the nation’s biggest and newest structure designed to put Auckland on the world’s conference circuit and bolster local tourism — has drawn global attention prior to its much anticipated opening next year, although more for its insurance status and risk management than celebratory reasons.

Around lunchtime on Tuesday October 22 as final stages of the NZICC’s construction were underway, a fire began on its roof. 

Fanned by winds at an elevated site without fireproofing yet installed, the flames continued most of that week, requiring multiple firefighting resources and forcing much of Auckland CBD to be evacuated.

The extent of damage to the building appears extensive and, with various agencies still conducting assessments, its original cause has not been determined definitively.

But early speculation that attributed the disaster to an unattended blowtorch persists, in turn fuelling the supposition that the loss may not be covered by insurance due to a possible breach of the reasonable precautions clause.

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