Latest news with #AnnaNilsen
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
'Risk of collapse': Dunedin Gasworks chimney worse than first thought
Inspections have found significant localised damage in the upper sections of the chimney. Photo: SUPPLIED / DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL Part of the country's only gasworks museum is at risk of collapse with work to remove the risk expected to start later this week. The Dunedin Gasworks Museum was closed last month to assess the safety of its 25-metre high chimney stack after possible earthquake damage. The Dunedin City Council owns the Category 1 historic place, and said a recent update showed the condition was worse than first thought. The council's property services group manager Anna Nilsen said detailed inspections had been carried out using drones and crane access. "These show that in addition to the cracks and movement within the structure we already knew about, there is significant localised damage in the upper sections of the chimney that pose a risk of collapse once we start work," she said. Dunedin Gasworks in a photo taken about 1880. Photo: Dunedin Gasworks Museum Supports would be installed to secure it and allow contractors to deconstruct it safely while mitigating the risk of an uncontrolled collapse, she said. "We remain committed to saving as much of the chimney as possible, but it's a complex job and public safety is the top priority." The council has been working closely with the Dunedin Gasworks Museum Trust
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Saddened' by demolition, but ‘safety is paramount'
An image taken during the drone inspection of the chimney stack shows significant cracks. PHOTO: DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL The decision to pull down part of the Dunedin Gasworks Museum is a sad but necessary one, a museum trustee says. On April 16, the Gasworks Museum was closed while its 25m-high brick chimney stack was assessed after structural changes were noticed during a routine visual inspection. On Tuesday, the Dunedin City Council announced part of the chimney would be "deconstructed'' as it posed an "imminent risk'' to public safety. Work was expect to begun next week. Gasworks Museum Trust manager Glynn Babington said the trust was hopeful reconstruction might be possible after the emergency work was done. "We are saddened ... but safety is paramount. "The remaining part of the chimney will be accessed, maintenance will be done as required and, if required, strengthening options will be investigated.'' Covered storage options, including council facilities, were being explored for the removed bricks, which would be catalogued for possible reconstruction. The site is a category 1 historic place owned by the council, which assists the trust with maintenance and refurbishment. Council property services group manager Anna Nilsen said costs for the emergency work, carried out by Naylor Love, were not yet available. "The emergency provisions of the Resource Management Act allow for deconstruction in these circumstances.'' Once work began, the council's property services team, as landlord, had seven days to notify the council, the resource consent authority, work was under way, she said. An application for resource consent also needed to be submitted by property services to the council, within 20 working days of work starting. "We expect the application will be lodged in the coming weeks.''
