Photo clouds totalisator heritage status at Opaki

The discovery of an old photograph could send the wrecker's ball through an historic Masterton building's protected status.
A dispute has erupted over the supposed heritage status of Opaki Racecourse's long-disused totalisator building, which the Masterton Racing Club says is a fire hazard that needs to be torn down.
Demolition was halted two months ago after the Masterton District Council and the New Zealand Historic Places Trust called the building's status into question.
The trust's central region area co-ordinator, David Watt, said it was believed the building was erected before 1900, which would make it an archaeological site and bring Historic Places Act provisions into affect.
However, the club has produced a photograph of the site, believed to be dated circa 1906, that shows no sign of the totalisator, club representative Spencer Southey said.
He said the club has applied to the council for a resource consent to continue demolition and is also searching for more proof, such as old minutes and other records, to back its case.
Mr Southey said the building is in a "terrible" state and has become a fire hazard. He added it was possible the building next to it, which is used by the Youth Choices Trust, would not be insured as long as the totalisator remains standing.
"That's why we wanted to pull it down about three years ago."
Mr Watts said the trust is not taking any further steps until it sees what evidence the club produces.
"It seems at the moment there is a difference of views. They are getting information and are going to come to us with it."
He pointed out the totalisator is included on a list of heritage buildings drawn up by the Masterton District Council, stating it was built in the mid-1880s.
The trust also had other evidence that suggested it was built before 1900, Mr Watts said.
Masterton district councillor David Holmes recently offered on behalf of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association to relocate it to the Solway Showgrounds.
"More people would see it there and there would be less chance of it being vandalised or burned down," he said.
However, Mr Southey said the building's concrete foundations meant it could not be relocated.
Race meetings have not been held at Opaki for many years, with the track now being used as a training track only.
The Wairarapa branch of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust has been fighting on several fronts in the past few years to save Masterton's heritage buildings from either demolition or removal.
Among those on the council's heritage list that have been lost to Masterton are the Tinui Hotel on Castlepoint Road, lost to Greytown after a titanic Environment Court struggle.
Also lost to South Wairarapa, this time to Featherston, was the Dixon Farmhouse, one of the first houses to be built in Masterton, on Charles Dixon's Worksop farm.
The Whare Wall on private property in Michael Street, made of totara slabs and described in the list precise as being of "technical and rarity value" was wrecked, as was the Queen Street building formerly the South End Mart, that had been a stables and wheelwright business in the 1870s.