A social housing block that has sat empty in central Wellington for more than a decade, and which Housing Minister Chris Bishop has described as an “ugly scar”, is losing its protected heritage status, meaning it may be demolished.
“The Gordon Wilson Flats were used as social housing until 2012,when an engineer’s report showed the building was so unsafe that large slabs of the concrete exterior could come off in an earthquake or even a strong wind. The building has sat vacant since then, becoming more dangerous and more of an eyesore every year,” Bishop said this morning.
“The Gordon Wilson Flats are currently listed as heritage protected in the Wellington City District Plan, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get a resource consent to demolish them or alter them.
“There has been attempt after attempt to deal with the Gordon Wilson Flats since 2012, all of which have failed. The flats sit as an ugly scar on the Wellington skyline, emblematic of a failed planning system that prioritises preservation of heritage, no matter the economic cost.”
Bishop said the council wanted the flats demolished, as did Victoria University, the current owner.
The Gordon Wilson flats on The Terrace were built in 1959 and have sat vacant since 2012. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“The people of Wellington want them demolished too.
“Cities shouldn’t be museums.”
Cabinet has agreed to amend the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which has recently been reported back to Parliament.
“The amendment will remove the flats’ protected heritage status and will make its demolition a permitted activity under the RMA. This means the building can finally be demolished, without a resource consent,“ Bishop said.
The amendments will not apply to any other heritage-protected buildings around the country. The Gordon Wilson Flats have been singled out because the building is owned by a public institution.
“I know many Wellingtonians will be relieved to know the Gordon Wilson Flats’ days of heritage protection are numbered, and that it is unlikely to mar our beautiful city’s skyline for too much longer,” Bishop said.
The amendment paper will be introduced during the bill’s Committee of the Whole House stage, between its second and third readings.
“The bill also contains wider amendments to allow councils to de-list heritage buildings in their district plans faster and more easily. The wider issue of heritage protection is also being actively considered as part of the government’s replacement legislation for the Resource Management Act, expected to be introduced later in the year,” Bishop said.
