Taupō woman protests demolition of cyclone-damaged cottage

Pam McLeod is protesting the demolition of the former matron's cottage at Waiora House.

As the finishing touches were being placed on the magnificent new Waiora House development in Taupō, Pam McLeod parked her motorised wheelchair outside the damaged ugly-duckling building next door and staged a protest.

It was the 78-year-old’s goal was to draw attention to the pending demolition of Tawa Cottage — the former matron’s cottage — which used to be alongside the Taupō Maternity Hospital that later became Waiora House community services hub.

After the main building was demolished in 2019 due to the presence of disturbed asbestos, work began on a replacement structure, which is due for completion in August.

The plan was to leave intact the other buildings on the site, which sits on the corner of Spa Rd and Motutaiko St.

This included Tawa Cottage, which had served as the matron’s house during the building’s maternity hospital days.

However, Cyclone Gabrielle blew a spanner into the works when high winds toppled a mature tree in the grounds of Waiora House.

Tawa Cottage, the former Maternity Hospital matron's house next to Waiora House, was damaged when a tree was blown down during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

The damage to the new building was minimal and did not hamper the project’s timeline.

Tawa Cottage, however, was severely damaged.

One corner of the structure’s roof was caved in, sparking fresh fears of asbestos exposure.

The decision was made to demolish it, with work due to begin this week. The Taupō District Council says it is now reviewing that decision.

That follows McLeod’s “one-woman protest”. The Taupō woman describes herself as “a wee bit of a radical”.

She said the building has earned its place in the history books and deserved to be repaired.

“It served a lot of good for our community and we need to respect it for that.”

As a former manager for the Awhina Lodge Society, McLeod had moved the organisation into the building when it first opened as Waiora House.

She said the cottage should be recognised as a significant part of Taupō's past, and criticised the decision to demolish it rather than restore it.

“I feel that the council has not done enough to save it.

“They don’t know the place. They don’t know our history.

“Even though it has asbestos, it could be sealed off and PVC put up at the doors so people could look in and see what it was like.”

McLeod felt the decision was part of a wider trend of ignoring the town’s past.

“I’ve lived here for 55 years and I’ve seen all the changes, and always the old stuff gets bowled out.

“We have no history.”

When the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald asked the council about Pam’s concerns, a spokesperson said they were now considering the cottage’s future.

“It is very unfortunate that the building was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle and we were considering the future of Tawa Cottage, including the possibility of demolition.

“We acknowledge there has been some feedback around the history of the building and at this point we are removing the asbestos and we will be working with insurers and the Waiora Community Trust on the future of the cottage.”