A historic hall near Taipa which gained national fame as Swamp Place Cinema is in line for a badly needed upgrade expected to cost ratepayers $250,000.
Te Hiku Community Board has endorsed the plan by the Far North District Council to extend Oruru Hall's usable life for at least another20 years.
The 113-year-old hall was built in 1902 as part of the Pacific cable station which linked New Zealand at Cable Bay to British Columbia. The building was sold to the Dominion Cement Company in 1914 and later moved to Oruru, 7km southeast of Taipa.
Since then, it has been used by the Returned Services Association as a venue for socials and dances and more recently as a cinema.
Te Hiku Community Board chairman Lawrie Atkinson said little maintenance had been done on the hall in recent decades and its condition had deteriorated. An inspection by fire safety officers and building engineers found a number of issues that needed fixing. While some were minor and could be easily remedied, they also discovered serious structural and weather-tightness problems.
The hall will be closed for several months, most likely from autumn 2016, while repairs are carried out. Mr Atkinson said the hall was safe to use in the meantime.
