Meeting earthquake standards could the cost owners of buildings on the main streets of four Southland towns.
Rules that one businessman believes could bring about the end of small towns in Southland look set to push ahead.
At a full Southland District Council meeting on Wednesday, it is recommended that councillors deem the main streets of four Southland towns priority areas af high vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
If that goes ahead, building owners in the priority zones at Otautau, Riverton, Winton and Wyndham would need to have their buildings assessed and bought up to earthquake standards in 12-and-a-half years. A non-priority building would have to be remediated in 25 years.