Eketāhuna building safety a concern for community board

The veranda of the building is in poor condition. Photo / Leanne warr

Tararua District Council is taking action on an Eketāhuna building which has been declared dangerous.

The Fred West building has been a problem for some time, as noted at a meeting of the Eketāhuna Community Board last week.

Council regulatory services manager Jim Single told the board members the building itself was fairly sound, but the veranda was dangerous.

He said action would be taken to ensure that members of the public would not be hit by falling debris.

He was unaware how old the building was or how long the issues had been going on, but a council agenda from October 2015 noted there was a problem with water leaking from the building.

A further item on the agenda for the September 2020 meeting noted concerns regarding a risk to public safety caused by the poor condition of under-veranda lights on the building.

Single said the building was also potentially earthquake-prone, which would also need to be looked into.

The board also discussed the placing of a commemorative plaque for King Charles III’s coronation.

Councillor Scott Gilmore explained that Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis had asked for a plaque for each of the four main towns in the Tararua District.

The commemoration would also include the planting of a tree.

Woodville held its commemoration in early May, at the same time as the coronation, while Dannevirke held one a month later.

The board discussed ideas over where to plant a tree, including Waka Park or on the grounds of the War Memorial, as well as what tree would be appropriate.

There was also discussion about a skating rink, and board member Larissa Barclay told those present that she would leave survey forms at the library for people to fill out so they could gauge the interest from the community.