The results of a seismic hazard analysis for the country by the Seismic Risk Subcommittee (SRS) of the Standards Association are presented. The SRS was formed in 1979 to advise the Standards Association Loadings Code Amendments Committee on the frequency and level of earthquake ground shaking throughout New Zealand. Results of the SRS study are in terms of estimates of five percent damped horizontal acceleration response spectra for 50, 150, 450 and 1000 year return periods. It is intended that these results will form the basis for developing seismic design response spectra for the proposed new Loadings Code (NZS 4203).