Anzac Day opening planned for historic Hanmer building
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The restoration of the historic Soldiers’ Block in Hanmer Springs is on track to be completed in time for Anzac Day 2025.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black says she is excited at the prospect of unveiling the restored building, given the building’s history.
The Soldiers’ Block was opened in 1916 to rehabilitate soldiers returning from World War I, and was later used as a drug and alcohol treatment facility.
The site also has cultural significance for Ngāti Kurī, with the council working closely with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura.
The project is part of a $3.5 million redevelopment of the Queen Mary Historic Reserve and includes earthquake strengthening and restoring the building for public use.
‘‘There is a real sense of excitement in the community and not just in Hanmer,’’ Black said.
‘‘People have been coming up and asking about it at community events, so I think it is quite special from a district-wide perspective.’’
Local firm O’Brien Construction was granted the contract to create a multi use community space in the middle of the building.
All going to plan, the wharenui will be available to Ngāti Kurī to occupy by Anzac Day, and the two octagons will be ready to use, but not fitted out.
Community groups from Hanmer Springs and the wider region were starting to think about how they might use the space, Black said.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it had been a long journey, since the buildings were signed over to the council in 2010.
The $3.5 million project is being funded by a Lotteries grant, $1.5m from the Government’s Better Off funding, development contributions and a grant from the council’s Earthquake Prone Buildings Fund.
A 2022 report, prepared as part of a concept plan developed by Weta Workshop, of Wellington, says Hanmer Springs was known as Te Whaka takaka o te karehu o te ahi a Tamatea (the resting place of the embers of the fires of Tamatea).
The thermal reserve was recognised as a place of regeneration and healing, making it a sacred place for Ngāti Kurī.
Stage two of the project involves turning the two Soldiers’ Block octagons into museum spaces to recognise the site’s heritage.
It would require the community to raise a further $6m, the council’s chief strategy and community officer, Judith Batchelor, said.
‘‘The vision is to potentially create something similar to the New Zealand experience at Le Quesnoy in France.’’
Staff plan to bring a report to the council later this month to ask for funding, in the form of a loan to be paid off through fundraising, and approval to establish a community trust.
The council is also proposing to build a new sports pavilion on the site and has budgeted $400,000 in the long-term plan.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag
On the range
Venetian plaster finishes are on-trend at the moment, so why not recreate this look at home and cover that unsightly rangehood at the same time? Find out how to create your own with Resene Sandtex and these easy step by step instructions.
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