Residents leave Whanganui building after council finds multiple safety issues

The Maria Place building, constructed in 1919, has Class B heritage status under the council's district plan. Photo / Mike Tweed

A “dangerous and insanitary” central Whanganui building has been closed by the district council, with efforts continuing to find new homes for its residents.

Whanganui District Council regulatory and compliance operations manager Jason Shailer told the Chronicle the building, at 28 Maria Place, was found to have multiple safety and compliance issues, including illegal building work, illegal electrical work and unsanitary conditions.

“The council takes its responsibility to ensure buildings are safe very seriously and acted promptly once these significant safety and compliance issues were identified,” he said.

“All tenants have left the building and a notice has been attached to the building declaring it unsafe.”

Shailer said 14 people were living there.

“They were connected with social agencies, including Whanganui People’s Centre and the Ministry of Social Development, to help them access accommodation.”

Police had alerted the council to conditions in the building in late December, after visiting it on an unrelated matter.

“This kind of action is very rare,” Shailer said.

“It is only taken if it has to be taken, if the safety aspect outweighs everything else.

“Given the severity of these issues, closing the building was necessary rather than simply working with the landlord to address them.”

A council notice on the building, issued on February 5, says it has been declared a dangerous and insanitary building pursuant to sections 121, 124, and 125 of the New Zealand Building Act.

Whanganui People’s Centre manager Sharon Semple said she was working to find alternative housing solutions and the right support for the residents.

“We can only help those who engage. We can’t force our service on to people,” she said.

Building owner Hamish Davey said the council’s decision was “very heavy-handed” and the building had a current warrant of fitness.

“Everything is legal,” he said.

“It’s outrageous that [the council] can just go in and shut down someone’s business and, with 24 hours’ notice, evict people on to the street.

“These are people who find it very difficult to rent. I feel really sorry for them.”

He said his next step would be “to get the building uncondemned”.

Shailer said the building had a warrant of fitness.

“But it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on if maintenance is not ongoing,” he said.

“A warrant is only a snapshot in time and you still have to maintain it to a standard to have that building occupied by humans.

“It’s the same as a car warrant of fitness. I could get one, then put bald tyres on the car the next day.”

The building has Class B heritage status under the council’s district plan.

According to the council’s heritage inventory, it was constructed in 1919 after dentist Robert Grummitt commissioned Whanganui architect Henry Monk Helm to plan premises to accommodate dental chambers and professional offices.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.