11 hours ago
Gordon Wilson Flats' Heritage Protection Goneburger
The derelict and unsafe Gordon Wilson Flats in Wellington will lose its protected heritage status and become eligible for demolition through an amendment to the Resource Management Act (RMA) in the coming weeks, RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.
'The Gordon Wilson Flats were used as social housing until 2012, when an engineer's report showed the building was so unsafe that large slabs of the concrete exterior could come off in an earthquake or even a strong wind. The building has sat vacant since then, becoming more dangerous and more of an eyesore every year,' Mr Bishop says.
'The Gordon Wilson Flats are currently listed as heritage protected in the Wellington City District Plan, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get a resource consent to demolish them or alter them.
'There has been attempt after attempt to deal with the Gordon Wilson Flats since 2012, all of which have failed. The Flats sit as an ugly scar on the Wellington skyline, emblematic of a failed planning system that prioritises preservation of heritage, no matter the economic cost.
'Cities shouldn't be museums. The Wellington City Council wants the Gordon Wilson flats demolished, the University (the current owner) wants them demolished, and the people of Wellington want them demolished too.
'The Government is not prepared to let the situation continue any longer.
'Cabinet has agreed to enable the demolition of Gordon Wilson Flats by amending the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which has recently been reported back to Parliament.
'The amendment will remove the Flats' protected heritage status and will make its demolition a permitted activity under the RMA. This means the building can finally be demolished, without a resource consent.
'The amendments will not apply to any other heritage-protected buildings around the country. The Gordon Wilson Flats have been singled out because the building is owned by a public institution – Victoria University – and because that owner, the council and the community all want it gone.
'I know many Wellingtonians will be relieved to know the Gordon Wilson Flats' days of heritage protection are numbered, and that it is unlikely to mar our beautiful city's skyline for too much longer.
The Amendment Paper to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill will be introduced during the Bill's Committee of the Whole House stage, between its second and third readings. The Bill is expected to pass into law in the middle of 2025.
'The Bill also contains wider amendments to allow councils to de-list heritage buildings in their district plans faster and more easily. The wider issue of heritage protection is also being actively considered as part of the government's replacement legislation for the Resource Management Act, expected to be introduced later in the year.'
Victoria University may choose to demolish the Gordon Wilson Flats following the enactment of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill. While they would not need a resource consent for the demolition, they would still need a demolition consent under the Building Act 2004 to ensure appropriate management of matters such as handling and disposing of hazardous building materials and controlling silt runoff, excess noise and dust generated by the demolition.
