Council acts to safeguard Auckland city's history

The Imperial building at 44-48 Queen St, Auckland City has received 'B' heritage status. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

The Auckland City Council has placed heritage listings on eight buildings, including the stately Edwardian home built by the Paykel family in Parnell that sparked a public outcry last year over the loss of the city's heritage.

The council began on Friday the formal process to place category B heritage status on seven buildings and category A status on Newman Hall in Waterloo Quadrant, built in 1863-1864 by one of the city's early merchants, David Nathan.

Apart from the Paykel home in St Stephens Ave, all the buildings are in central Auckland.

The others include Auckland's earliest steel-reinforced structure, built for Yates seed merchants in Albert St; the Auckland City Mission building in Hobson St, which was once an early 1850s hotel; the Imperial Building in lower Queen St and site of one of the city's early picture theatres; and the two-storey, brick Auckland Gas Company building squeezed between tall glass and concrete towers in Wyndham St.

Heritage campaigners applauded the moves to protect the eight buildings but said there was still work to be done.

Allan Matson, who has fought to save the inner-city Fitzroy Hotel and the Greek revival style commercial building in Hobson St, said scheduling the eight buildings was what the public wanted and great for the collective good of the city.

"The council should now extend financial incentives so building owners are not left to shoulder the cost of protecting heritage for our collective benefit," Mr Matson said.

Elsbeth Hardie, who has led the fight to save 42 St Stephens Ave, said the decision showed that the processes and policies of the council were not set in stone.

"We tapped into a huge vein of frustration by Aucklanders who were sick of losing the city's heritage to piecemeal development.

"I know that frustration was a factor in the election of a new-look council last year and now that new council is delivering on its promises."

After shying away last year from giving the Paykel home category B heritage status because then-owner SMG Properties had a valid demolition consent to move it off the site for apartments, the new council has decided to go ahead with heritage scheduling.

Ian Grant, of the council's heritage division, said the council understood the home had a new owner "who may not give effect" to the demolition consent.

Category B building owners need to obtain a resource consent, which is likely to be publicly notified, and show there are "compelling reasons" before they can demolish or remove a building. Category A buildings cannot be demolished or removed.

The chairwoman of the council's environment, heritage and urban form committee, Christine Caughey, said it was the first set of buildings to be listed under the new council's commitment to protecting significant heritage buildings.

"This is to protect heritage disappearing from under our eyes."

Ms Caughey said it was part of a comprehensive approach of reviewing the city's heritage buildings and streetscapes.

Listing more buildings and other steps to preserve heritage, such as character overlay zones, were likely.

Category A

(Cannot be demolished or removed)

Newman Hall, 16 Waterloo Quadrant

Category B

(Needs resource consent to demolish or remove)

Former Paykel homestead, 42 St Stephens Ave, Parnell
Former Yates Building, 13 Albert St
Former Hotel Cargen, 10 Eden Cres
Former Princes of Wales Hotel, now City Mission, 140 Hobson St
Greek revival-style commercial building, 164-168 Hobson St
Imperial Building, 44-48 Queen St
Former Gas Co building, 26 Wyndham St