Greymouth demolitions: Town ‘turning a corner’
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The imminent demolition of a prominent old building in the Greymouth CBD is a sign the town is “turning a corner”, mayor Tania Gibson says.
As the clock ticks towards buildings needing to be brought up to seismic standards under new building standards, the landowner of much of the Greymouth CBD has started to move on buildings already abandoned by their previous owners.
Mawhera Incorporation confirmed today the two-storey Duncan Hardie building in Mackey St will be levelled within a couple of months.
“It is coming down shortly – I'd say before the end of July,” incorporation secretary Sam Wheelans said on Monday.
Until recently the old building housed an institution of the Greymouth dining experience, the Bonzai Pizzaria, among other professional and retail tenants.
A “full assessment” for asbestos was required first to decide how the building would be taken down.
Several other buildings in and around the CBD were also earmarked. Broadcasting House, next to Duncan Hardie, was the first to come down.
Mawhera Incorporation is under way with a new retail building on that site, opposite the library.
“There was a sort of master plan. We've started down from that end, working towards The Warehouse.”
Wheelans said the incorporation was still open to saving some of the old buildings.
“We might fix them up if there is interest.”
Meanwhile, the new premises being built by Mawhera for Noel Leeming was a sign of things to come, and redevelopment of the Duncan Hardie site next door was another possibility.
“We will do something with the Duncan Hardie site ... we will be redeveloping it.
“What we put there will be a discussion for upcoming (Mawhera) meetings ... We're trying to move forward.”
Becks Building is the immediate neighbour to Duncan Hardie. Owner Stewart Nimmo said he understood Duncan Hardie would be cleared “fairly soon”.
“At present our building, they're going to leave it.”
Another abandoned premises on the other side of the Becks building was to be demolished with the Duncan Hardie building, but was now being left due to the shared wall.
Nimmo said he still preferred to save Becks, but investing in it was complex given the land and the return on investment.
“It is a difficult thing; I'd love to strengthen it ... at present there is no decision. It would be fair to say that the future is uncertain.”
Greymouth mayor Tania Gibson said visible demolition and building activity finally starting to happen was heartening.
The Pounamu Pathway development, together with the new Noel Leeming building, and plans by the council to leave its current Mawhera leasehold site in Mackay St and rebuild on a new site are indicative.
“We're definitely starting to see progress with the major rebuilds ... One step at a time, but now we can see something visually happening. We're now turning a corner but we've still got a long way to go.”
Gibson said she understood a proposal by Mawhera Incorporation to open up a rubble site on its own land at Kaiata was also now moving.
But she noted the costs of any new building in the CBD was complex due to the land ownership question aside from the initial demolition factors.
“There's movement but it costs a lot of money to get those buildings down – that is a process in itself.
“I believe with Duncan Hardie there is a process to work through with the right people to do that.
“It is promising – I know when those buildings come down, I get quite excited.”
However, that was also tempered by grief in the community of a loss of the historic value of some sites, “but the owners aren't doing them up”.
Wheelans said the landfill aspect was being handled via a consultant on behalf of Mawhera and at this stage he could not say what stage that was at.
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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76.4% Yes
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22.3% No
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
West Coast council accepts Franz Josef loan offer
By local democracy reporter Lois Williams:
The West Coast Regional Council has voted to take up the government’s offer to co-fund a second round of flood protection at Franz Josef.
The decision follows a fractious meeting in the tourist town on Wednesday night, with local ratepayers agonising over how to pay for the work, and insisting they authorise what the council builds and spends.
Scientists and engineers have warned the community is at high to critical risk from the wild Waiho (Waiau) River unless urgent work is done to top up and rebuild damaged stopbanks, as a stop gap measure.
At a brief extraordinary Council meeting in Greymouth on Friday, chairperson Peter Haddock moved the council accept the offer of funding, up to a value of $7.9 million.
The government’s original offer was for $10m, as a 60/40 split: a grant of $6m and a loan of $4m to Waiho ratepayers.
But that included the cost of strengthening the massive flood banks built to protect State Highway 6, and the council excluded that component after Franz Josef objected to funding a Crown asset.
The council vote to accept the funding was all but unanimous: rebel councillor Allan Birchfield was the sole dissenting voice, saying he had no confidence in the council to honestly and fairly administer the money, and the council was not trusted by the community.
“And I don’t have the confidence in you, Peter - so I’m voting against it.”
Haddock said the criticism was unfair.
He said he had been to five meetings with Franz Josef ratepayers to try to rebuild trust and apologise to them for the way they were treated by the council previously, when Birchfield was the chairperson.
“The previous council had no meetings with them for over five years, very poor financial paperwork … I’ve been through the minutes and I see you don’t appear in most of them, the previous money was lost back to the government and I’m afraid that lies with you Allan [Birchfield].”
Councillor Brett Cummings, who was a member of the Waiho ratepayers joint committee, reminded Birchfield that only two people at the Franz Josef meeting had opposed accepting the funding and loan.
“I feel quite confident, Allan, that the community group down there has quite a lot of control on how and where the money’s being spent - their money.”
Councillor Peter Ewen said he wanted to acknowledge the Franz Josef community, and the angst it had gone through over the decision.
“I agree with them over not taking the $10 million ... [but] this is ensuring the Insurance Council does not walk away from the situation. We are helping ourselves, and I’m sure the council with its best endeavours and professional river staff will adhere to the wishes of the community down there.”
If nature played its part, the Franz Josef community would now gain the time to come up with a final plan for its future, which was the purpose of the funding, Ewen said.
Birchfield asked engineer Scott Hoare why it was planning to tear down and rebuild the Milton stopbank on the sourh side, saying he had been there when it was built and it was well “found”.
Hoare said the bank would not be torn down, but was slumping in places and the rocks would be taken out and restacked.
Councillor Frank Dooley said he had every confidence in Haddock as council chairperson.
“I really appreciate the work you’ve done to bring this organisation to the position it’s now in ... the West Coast community can only benefit through your leadership.”
The regional council had until Monday to tell the government if it would accept the funding for Franz Josef and that would now happen, Haddock said after the meeting.
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