‘Beloved’ bunker unsafe for use

For the first time since the seventies, the Devonport Folk Club’s Monday club night was held at a different venue.

The Devonport Folk Club was informed on February 28 that their venue, ‘‘The Bunker’’, was non-compliant from a fire safety perspective and unsuitable for public use. Effective immediately, The Bunker was closed, pending further investigations.

Club secretary Hilary Condon says members are ‘‘heartbroken’’ and are offering to fund whatever work needs to be done to fix the ‘‘beloved’’ building.

‘‘It’s very upsetting and we are hoping we can get it back,’’ Condon said. ‘‘We have not been given a time frame.’’

The folk club nights atop Mount Victoria have been a feature of Devonport for nearly half a century. Originally built as an army command post in 1891, the bunker has never really been in ‘‘tip top’’ shape, Condon said.

‘‘There are no windows and it does leak, but we do our best to keep it safe and we have never had a fire yet.’’

President Roger Giles, who was unable for comment, is philosophical the club will make it through this recent obstacle, she said.

‘‘We love it. It’s difficult to get to and a pain to keep dry, but it’s home,’’ Condon said. ‘‘It has a lot of history, but that’s what folk songs are all about.’’

The Bunker’s closure closely follows recent discussions of a car ban on Mount Victoria, enforced by the Maunga Authority.

Tupuna Maunga manager Scott de Silva confirmed the safety inspection of The Bunker is in ‘‘no way related’’ to the proposed car ban.

‘‘The Bunker building is owned by Auckland Council, not the Tupuna Maunga Authority, and it is the council who commissioned the fire safety report and who made the decision to close the Bunker,’’ de Silva said.

Auckland Council’s head of operational management and maintenance community facilities Agnes McCormack confirmed this, stating the council commissioned an independent report, which found the bunker did not meet some Building Act requirements.

‘‘The council is currently undertaking a series of investigations into the safety of the Bunker,’’ McCormack said.

The Council has arranged for building A13 at Fort Takapuna to host club nights, in the interim.

The Bunker failed a health and safety inspection and is closed to the public.