Building ‘already in bad state’

The Crown agency responsible for a decaying, old police station that is part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement says it did its best to maintain the property.

Land Information New Zealand deputy chief executive Jerome Sheppard said the Palmerston North building fell into extreme disrepair despite the best efforts of the agency, which managed the site during the Crown’s dealings with Rangita¯ ne.

Property no longer required by the Crown becomes part of its Landbank pool and may become part of a Treaty settlement.

‘‘As with other Crown properties, LINZ takes all reasonable steps to maintain and secure Landbank sites. [But that’s] balanced against the need to manage and prioritise funding appropriately across our entire property portfolio,’’ Sheppard said.

Rangita¯ ne o Manawatu¯ , whose settlement with the Crown took effect in March 2017, is wary of accepting the old station in Church St now that it is infested with mould and parts of the building have collapsed.

Palmerston North City councillor Rachel Bowen has criticised the Crown’s ‘‘dereliction of duty’’ in allowing the building to decay so badly.

But Sheppard said the building was already in a bad state when Land Information New Zealand took over in 2016.

The old station has stood empty since police moved to new headquarters in 2005.

Sheppard said the building was in a ‘‘worn state’’ even then, and was further damaged while in the hands of the Ministry of Justice for five years from 2011.

The agency was looking into getting the property valued so it could make an offer to Rangita¯ ne.

If not acccepted, the building would remain in the landbank until LINZ had approval to sell it on the open market.