The walkway next to the hall, running from Bell St to the Sarjeant art gallery, was never redeveloped. Photo / Mike Tweed
The walkway next to the hall, running from Bell St to the Sarjeant art gallery, was never redeveloped. Photo / Mike Tweed
Whanganui’s highland pipe band has called on the council to fix a bank that is pushing against its premises.
During hearings this week on the Whanganui District Council’s 2025/26 annual plan, band president Robert Gaskin said the bank behind the Bell St property was now “quite high on the back of the hall”.
The council, which owns the land, installed a retaining wall around part of the building in 2020 but never finished the job, Gaskin said.
“Basically, one room of the hall is damp, smelly and musty, and we run a dehumidifier 24/7.
“We are requesting [that the] council consider extending the retaining wall.”
The hall is at the bottom of Pukenamu Queen’s Park, home to the Davis Library, Alexander Library and the Sarjeant Gallery.
In his submission to the council, Gaskin said the band were subject to rates and lease fees levied by the council and “the clear impression” was that the remaining retaining work would be completed during the redevelopment of a walkway adjacent to the hall, from Bell St to the Sarjeant.
The band has occupied the council-owned land since 1951. Photo / Mike Tweed
In 2023, the council chose to landscape around the gallery only, with subsequent phases of the park’s design plan put on hold because of cost.
The Whanganui Highland Pipe Band was formed in 1918 as the City of Wanganui Highland Pipe Band, with its first known parade on Armistice Day in November that year.
It owns the hall and has occupied the land at 1E Bell St since 1951.
Gaskin told councillors that running the dehumidifier cost about $5 a day.
“Extending the retaining wall gives us a chance to dry out the room and protect our equipment, namely kilts and instruments the band owns,” he said.
Band patron Robert Allen said the hall was the “centrepiece of our existence”.
“The band has such a deep and long history with the city of Whanganui,” he said.
“We want to keep it going.
“Every Monday at 7pm, the band is at the hall and the doors are open.”
On another side of the park, the Repertory Theatre has also battled a slipping bank.
During last year’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) process, the council agreed to sell that building to the current tenants (the theatre) for $1 and stabilise the bank around it.
In the LTP, that work was estimated to cost $250,000.
During hearings this week, Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said a time would be organised for elected members to inspect the bank around the band hall.
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 the Whanganui District Council.
