The 1922 Native Land Court building in Whanganui's Rutland St has been sold by tender. Photo / Bevan Conley
The 1922 Native Land Court building in Whanganui's Rutland St has been sold by tender. Photo / Bevan Conley
A new trust has bought the long-unused Native Land Court building in Whanganui's Old Town and plans to restore it to its former glory.
Whanganui district councillor Helen Craig chairs the new Whanganui Heritage Restoration Trust, which has lawyer Richard Austin, accountant Lindsay Tait and investment adviser Hamish Mackay astrustees. Its sole aim is to buy and restore heritage buildings in the Whanganui CBD.
The trust is still being formally set up, Craig said. It has been talked of for at least a year and Craig has had advice from a similar trust in Canterbury. Its members want to see more action on heritage buildings.
"The only way we were really going to make a difference was to get involved and restore the buildings," she said.
Trustees were unanimous that the Native Land Court building would be a good one to start with. It has been owned by UCOL since about 2006 and was put up for tender by Property Brokers Whanganui.
The trust's successful tender was less than the $210,000 rateable value of the property, Craig said. Paperwork for the sale should be done by the end of June.
The trust has secured a loan and will apply for more funding and hire a project manager. The cost to restore the building, inside and out, is "considerable", Craig said.
"The estimate to rebuild and repair is higher than it might be worth at the end of it."
The Native Land Court building has a Category 1 listing with Heritage New Zealand. It is "rare if not unique" in being purpose built for use as a Māori Land Court, Whanganui District Council's heritage listing says.
Whanganui Heritage Restoration Trust chairwoman Helen Craig. Photo / File
For some years UCOL and Whanganui iwi education organisation Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui wanted to demolish it and put up a Māori tertiary education facility in its place.
Applications to demolish the building were declined in 2008 and 2010. The demolition was opposed by Heritage New Zealand and, under Whanganui's District Plan, Old Town buildings cannot be torn down without consent.
Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui had enough money to put up a three-storey building and had planned to reconnect it with the reserve across the road - Pākaitore/Moutoa Gardens. Māori have no affection for the building itself, Te Puna chairman John Maihi said, and no problem with it being demolished.
"It was very detrimental to everything for Māori. It played a major part of actually wiping us out."
He was disappointed the building couldn't be demolished, a new one put up and a link to Pākaitore established.
"In the end we just stepped aside from it and had to return the money," he said.
Having given up that particular project, he endorsed the trust's plan to buy the building.
The Whanganui Heritage Restoration Trust will be able to apply for Lotteries funding to do the restoration. When it is done, the building will be suitable for offices, a gallery or some other public space.
The trust doesn't intend to own buildings long-term, but the eventual uses of them will vary. Some could have upstairs apartments for inner city living, Craig said.
"We have got no desire to be long term owners. We will sell the one we've got and move on to another."
Information + Previous applications to demolish building declined + Trust formed with aim of buying and restoring heritage buildings + Trustees unanimous Native Land Court a good place to start
