Salvaging much of deconsecrated church

EASY DOES IT: Gisborne Hiabs lift off the roof of the former Makaraka Anglican church yesterday. Picture by Paul Rickard

The former Anglican church alongside Makaraka School, already deconsecrated, is being sensitively deconstructed.

The 94-year-old building is being demolished to make way for a carpark at Makaraka School.

Built in 1928, the old church was deconsecrated after it sustained structural damage in the 2007 Gisborne earthquake.

The building is owned by the Ministry of Education who said every effort would be made to preserve its kauri and rimu timber and several beautiful stained glass windows.

Gisborne Hiabs yesterday removed the building's roof. The timbers from the ceiling will be recycled by Gisborne's Neil Andrew.

The project is led by Currie Construction.

Makaraka School principal Hayden Swann said before the church dismantling began Anglican vicar Archdeacon Bronwyn Marchant conducted a karakia to bless the work being undertaken. The school children, staff, community and the contractors were included.

“We are lucky to have sourced local dismantler NR (Neil) Andrew Ltd, whose two children went to Makaraka School recently and lives nearby, to manage the salvaging and re-purposing of parts of the building.

“He has removed the floor, windows, doors and then the roof. All these items are being sold and reused. The bricks are also being cleaned and will be sold. Neil Andrew is handling the dismantling and the selling of the material.

“We are very happy that all the items that can be used again will end up in new building projects in the future.”

Currie Construction project manager John Currie said as much as possible would be salvaged from the building.

“The church is an earthquake-prone building and we found gravity was pretty much holding it together.

“The Ministry of Education bought the building in recent years to turn it into carparking as it wasn't feasible to strengthen it.

Currie Construction is the main contractor working directly with MOE.

“Neil Andrew has been contracted by Currie Construction to salvage as much as possible. He has uplifted the floor and taken the windows. The roof was lifted down for him as a safer method to dismantle. All timber sarking, purlins and trusses will be salvaged.

“He will also pallet and save most of the bricks for reuse.

Curries contracted Gisborne Hiabs, who used two machines to lift the roof off.