$14 million assigned for redevelopment and earthquake-strengthening of Taihape Town Hall, mayor hopes it will cost less

The Rangitīkei District Council is in the early stages of devising a plan to earthquake strengthen the Taihape Town Hall. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rangitīkei District Council has approved a total of $14 million for the earthquake strengthening and redevelopment of the Taihape Town Hall.

The hall has been closed since 2021 after it was identified as earthquake-prone and posed a significant risk to life in a quake.

Before its closure, the building hosted numerous events, including concerts, theatre productions, sports, recreation, community meetings and business events. It was also home to the Taihape Library, Information Centre and the council offices.

Earlier in the year, as part of its 2023/24 Annual Plan consultation, the council asked for public feedback on the plan to redevelop the building.

The council also held a well-attended workshop earlier this month to get an idea of what people wanted from the building.

Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said the $14m was a maximum amount and it was hoped the redevelopment would cost less.

“I’m hopeful that we don’t need $14m, but that was a historical budget that was apportioned to it.

“My hope is that there will be a considerable saving.”

The council had previously planned to build replacements for council-owned buildings across the district that are earthquake-prone.

“We’ve effectively done Bulls and met those and we were going to do Marton next and then Taihape, [but] because Taihape was then without a facility, we’ve changed the rotation and we’re looking to do Taihape next.”

Closing the town hall had left council staff operating out of a facility not fully fit for purpose, Watson said.

The council had looked at sites to build a new hall, but consultation from residents and user groups showed there was more interest in redeveloping the existing building.

“It came back from the community that the town hall needed to be retained, it needed to be a town hall and there needed to be something on that existing site,” Watson said.

Local user groups had also been met with to ask what they wanted from the building - including performing arts groups who asked not to have the building’s floor area for seating reduced.

Others had different requests, such as an upgrade of the building’s heating system.

From these consultations, Watson said the council was now compiling a report on the community’s views.

The report would then give the council a clearer idea of what was wanted and allow it to construct a plan for the redevelopment and a timeline for its completion.

“I would like it to start tomorrow, but we have to go through a process of working out exactly what we’re going to tender and how that will be done.”

As part of the 2023/24 Annual Plan consultation, residents were also asked for their thoughts on what they wanted done with Taihape’s Memorial Park grandstands and a block of heritage buildings on the corner of Broadway and High St in Marton.

Watson said a decision regarding the future of those sites had not yet been made as the council was still working through those processes.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.