Council urged to help protect town’s history
The owner of one of Taranaki’s newest heritage buildings is urging his local council to do more to protect the town’s history.
Stuart Greenhill owns the 100-year-old Egmont Chambers on Fenton St, Stratford, with partner Jo Stallard. He said they were proud to have got their building heritage listed, but wished the district council had more incentives to help protect others.
Greenhill said more than half of local authorities across the country offered a rates rebate to encourage the preservation of heritage and culturally significant buildings. However, he said Stratford District Council voted to get rid of this in March 2020.
‘‘That was the only incentive left in Stratford to encourage landlords to do something to upgrade their buildings because it’s rather terrible down here, it’s rather bleak,’’ he said. ‘‘These buildings define our place in our social history. To identify with that legacy creates pride in ourselves and our community.’’
However, Stratford District Council chief executive Sven Hanne said the decision to discontinue the rates remission for heritage buildings did not reflect a lack of support, but rather acknowledged the existing policy was not delivering desired outcomes.
For the 2019/20 year, only three property owners sought the rates remission – for two buildings and one tree – for a total of $558.35.
‘‘Elected members did not see the rates remission policy as the best way to support heritage buildings and have asked officers to explore other options,’’ he said. ‘‘Council supports private owners recognising the significance of their buildings and the link they have to Stratford’s history.’’
Egmont Chambers, where Greenhill and Stallard operate Fenton St Art Collective downstairs while living upstairs, was last week recognised as a place of significance by Heritage New Zealand and listed as Category 2 historic places on the New Zealand Heritage List/Ra¯rangi Ko¯rero.
A Category 2 listing recognises places that are of historical or cultural significance or value.
The list identifies and provides information on significant heritage places throughout New Zealand but does not equal automatic protection or prevent places being altered or sold.
Alison Dangerfield, central region area manager for Heritage New Zealand, said in compiling the list one of their roles was to indicate to councils, building owners and other interested people that the places were worth keeping.
‘‘It becomes the council, through its district plan, that places rules around its heritage places, so our interest for the council is to actually place these buildings, once identified, on its heritage inventory.
‘‘With its heritage inventory comes a set of guidelines and rules. This is the way that buildings are protected, but not through a listing with Heritage New Zealand.’’