The Gordon Wilson Flats on The Terrace were formerly social housing but have been sitting empty since 2012 Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
A derelict block of central Wellington flats will lose its protected heritage status, meaning they can now be demolished, says RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop.
The Gordon Wilson Flats on The Terrace were formerly social housing but have been sitting empty since 2012 when they were deemed too unsafe to live in.
The flats, owned by Victoria University had been listed as heritage protected in the Wellington City District Plan - but would be eligible for demolition without a resource consent through an amendment to the Resource Management Act (RMA) in the coming weeks, Bishop said.
"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."
Wellington City Council and the university wanted the flats demolished, but had until now been unable to, Bishop said.
The amendments would 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."
The amendment would be introduced as part of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which was expected to pass into law in a few weeks, Bishop said.
The Bill also contained other amendments allowing councils to delist heritage buildings in their district plans faster and more easily, he said.
Gordon Wilson apartments on The Terrace, Wellington Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Last year Bishop rejected Wellington City Council's recommendation to remove heritage protections from several buildings, including the Gordon Wilson Flats.
At the time he said the council did not provide sufficient evidence to support its reasons for removing the buildings from the Heritage schedule, but he committed to working with councils to make it easier to delist heritage buildings.
