Borer activity may delay art gallery project in Timaru
The earthquake strengthening of Timaru’s public art gallery could be delayed by up to eight weeks after it was discovered the entire wooden roof structure will need to be replaced because of borer.
The discovery is highlighted in the Aigantighe Art Gallery House Gallery seismic repairs project update in the agenda for tomorrow’s Timaru District Council community services committee meeting.
Written by the council’s property services and client representative manager Nicole Timney, the report said the work, which started in early December, was still within scope and budget.
Of the $3.7 million budgeted for the work, for the financial year to February 29, $561,046 had been spent so far, the report said. “[The work] is progressing well and the installation of the scaffolding and cover over the building to allow progress during wet weather has been completed,’’ the report said.
“The roof tiles have been removed and as anticipated, there is a need to replace approximately half of the roof joists due to the condition of the wood with live borer.’’
This was not unexpected, given the age of the house and the presence of dead borer in some areas of the verandah roof joists, the report said.
“In discussions with the architect and structural engineer, it would be advisable to replace the entire wooden roof structure due to the presence of the live borer whilst all the roof tiles are off the structure.’’
The contingency had allowed for this issue, with a cost estimate for the replacement of wood and labour of $120,000 plus GST, which was being test by the quantity surveyor, the report said.
“All other work continues to be within scope and budget, though we anticipate a potential eight-week delay to the project with the replacement of the roof joists.’’
The amount of time it took to get the work under way was heavily criticised by district councillors at a meeting in July
2023.
The 118-year-old house closed in 2017 after it was found to be just 10% of the seismic New Building Standard. Designed by James S Turnbull, Aigantighe (Scottish Gaelic for “home of welcome”) was built in 1905 for Alexander Grant and Helen Grant, who had emigrated from Scotland and farmed Gray’s Hills Station in the Mackenzie Country.
The Grant family lived at Aigantighe for 50 years. Alexander Grant died in 1920 at the age of 89, and his wife Helen in 1955, aged 101.
Their daughter, Jessie Wigley, with the support of her brother, James Grant, who inherited the house on their mother’s death, gifted the house and its grounds to the people of Timaru in October 1955 to establish the district’s first and only public art gallery.