FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS
St Joseph’s and the Dominican Priory, Smith St [cardcow.com]
‘A new roof for Dunedin’s Dominican Priory, considered one of New Zealand’s most important and at-risk historic buildings, is a big step closer following a $100,000 grant. [The] Dunedin Heritage Fund had committed the money from its 2016-17 budget. The 139-year old priory was built to house the city’s Dominican nuns and provide teaching space for girls. Despite its vast scale and elaborate construction – its floating concrete staircase and double-glazed music room were cutting edge designs in their day – the building received little maintenance over its working life.’ –Gerald Scanlan, Catholic Diocese of Dunedin (ODT)
19.2.16 ODT: Boost for restoration of priory (+ video)
12.5.16 ODT: DCC commits $100,000 to priory restoration
27.6.16 ODT: Priory future gets clean slate
*The Dunedin Heritage Fund is administered by representatives of Dunedin City Council and Heritage New Zealand.
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MORE GOOD NEWS
Dunedin Prison “big-picture project” [dunedinprisontrust.co.nz]
‘The Dunedin Prison Trust has raised about $500,000 to start the first stage of its development programme to return the [old prison] building to its original appearance. […] Last year, the trust lodged a planning application with the Dunedin City Council detailing about $250,000 of restorative work which would return the prison’s exterior to its original 1896 condition. The application included work on the building’s roof and walls, as well as seismic strengthening, work expected to cost another $250,000.’ (ODT)
24.8.16 ODT: Restoration begins on historic prison
2.9.16 ODT: Captive audience for prison project
17.9.16 ODT: Old prison roof being restored
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GOOD NEWS CONTINUES
Dunedin Courthouse [panoramio.com]
‘Refurbishing and strengthening Dunedin’s historic courthouse is expected to cost more than $18 million, according to a building consent approved by the Dunedin City Council. The consent includes detailed designs that council building services manager Neil McLeod says involve some of the most extensive earthquake-strengthening ever undertaken in the city. The plans also show the extent to which the Ministry of Justice plans on returning the building to its former glory.’ (ODT)
10.9.16 ODT: $18m to be spent on court upgrade
29.9.16 ODT: Courthouse restoration set to begin
30.9.16 ODT: Dunedin firm wins courthouse contract
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BAD NEWS
‘The Physio Pool is one of the largest warm water swimming pools in New Zealand and Dunedin’s only therapeutic swimming pool. The temperature is always kept around 35 degrees. We feature wheelchair accessibility, hoist and private changing rooms. The benefits of warm water exercise are tremendous and have an extremely positive impact on the quality of life for all ages. We are open to the public and offer a non-threatening environment for swimming, aqua jogging, individual exercise programmes, or warm water relaxation.’ —physiopool.org.nz
### ODT Online Sat, 1 Oct 2016
Pool heritage status opposed
By Vaughan Elder
The Southern District Health Board is fighting a proposal to classify Dunedin’s already endangered physio pool site as a heritage building, saying it may have to be demolished as part of a hospital redevelopment. This comes as the Property Council and the University of Otago are set to argue at next week’s Second Generation Dunedin City District Plan (2GP) hearings that proposed rules aimed at protecting the city’s heritage buildings are too restrictive.
Read more
█ Heritage New Zealand | Otago Therapeutic Pool List No. 7581
Historical information and Heritage significance at http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details?id=7581
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FURTHER BAD NEWS AND PILLOCKS
Criticism of the [second generation district] plan comes after praise in recent times for the council for its proactive approach towards saving the city’s heritage buildings.
### ODT Online Sun, 2 Oct 2016
Heritage rules deemed too restrictive
By Vaughan Elder
The Dunedin City Council’s proposed new heritage rules are too restrictive and property owners should have more freedom to demolish uneconomic heritage buildings, the Property Council says. This comes as Second Generation Dunedin City District Plan (2GP) commissioners are set to hear arguments next week about a new set of rules aimed at protecting the city’s heritage buildings. The University of Otago is also among submitters to have expressed concern about rules, planner and policy adviser Murray Brass saying they had the potential to reduce protection by making it more difficult to maintain and use heritage buildings.
A summary on the 2GP website said the changes included addressing the threat of “demolition by neglect” by making it easier to put old buildings to new uses and requiring resource consent for most changes to identified heritage buildings and “character-contributing” buildings within defined heritage precincts.
The new rules have prompted a strong response.
Read more
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FOR HISTORIC HERITAGE
Second Generation District Plan (2GP) – Heritage
Read all Heritage topic documents including reports, evidence and submissions to date at: https://2gp.dunedin.govt.nz/2gp/hearings-schedule/heritage.html
Documents
● Notice of Hearing
● Agenda
● Speaking Schedule – updated 29 September
Council Evidence
● Section 42A report
● Section 42A report addendum
DCC expert evidence
● Statement of evidence of Glen Hazelton [Policy planner – heritage]
█ Download: s42a Heritage Report with appendices (PDF, 5 MB)
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
Carisbrook turnstile building, Neville St | HNZ Category 1 historic place
[filmcameraworkshop.com]
What if? Dunedin... 
“Fixing private property” looks like somewhat suspicious use of rates money. IMO when it’s historic buildings and ones of particular design significance it is v good value.
Unlike attractions that appeal for a day/night that over-fill the city’s amenities then as quickly disappear after it, these are year in, year out added attractions. They make our city more pride-worthy for us too.
People who travel as groups, families, couples have to compromise and part of that is, there has to be something for every one (as distinct from everyone). Your cycle trail & Baldwin St, my brewery tour & op-shopping, the other dude’s art gallery & Botanic Gardens and Little Jim’s heritage architecture ramble around town after which he appreciates a soothing swim in the Physio Pool.
All, naturally, check out the fabled southern Cheese Roll. Is it as awesome as they’ve heard?
Yes!
And Hype don’t forget Chisholm links. The best golf links in the South Island and possibly New Zealand one of only 269 fabulous venues in the world owned by the DCC and totally neglected since 1989 by bureaucrats who could not take credit for its emergence. Pah and Bah Humbug!
Sat, 8 Apr 2017
ODT: Grey water plan for golf links funded
By Hamish MacLean
The possibility of using grey water on a golf course should spark an “interesting debate” Otago Regional Council chief executive Peter Bodeker says. Chisholm Links has been granted $12,000, plus GST, to undertake a pre-feasibility study looking at using treated effluent on the course instead of Dunedin’s potable supply. […] The golf course is on city council-owned reserve land, but is leased by the club. The club has been discussing for the past few years accessing grey water, treated water from the nearby Tahuna wastewater treatment plant. In 2013, then Chisholm Links golf pro, now Dunedin city councillor Andrew Whiley, said when the council wanted to put the Tahuna outfall pipe under the golf course, the club agreed on the basis of a verbal agreement that in the future the club would be able to use some of the treated water from the plant to water the course. Cont/
Someone needs to undertake as part of this study the type and nature of grasses produced using grey water.
Generally fine turf grasses are the type which respond better to nutrient free water. Too much lush grass on Chisholm Links is a greater problem than sparse grass. The council needs to understand the importance of the links to Tourism in Dunedin and assist the lessees to produce those conditions which knowledgeable wealthy golfing tourists expect.
Given that courses of remarkable similarity in Scotland and Ireland draw tourists to fly in daily from the USA and pay over $300 per day, to play, one would imagine that the genii at the DCC would have recognised the opportunity.
Unfortunately the nose on the face is often overlooked!
When you’re travelling can you hire golf clubs? They’re heavy and cumbersome to bring along, OK for professionals and golf fanatics but not the average keen golfer going on holiday.
I think we should make more of the fact that there are things to do EVERY day. It makes sense to aim for a steady stream of visitors, keeping accommodation and catering establishments going at a steady pace. “Events” such as the Fubar Stadium is lauded for result in overcrowding and shortages of overnight accommodation, a big-deal news item because of the (don’t count the money that doesn’t stay here!) $$$$$ it brings to Dunedin. Un-newsworthy numbers per week though, that never dip badly, that gradually increase year by year as reports of interesting visits where everyone experienced something that delighted them – this is the growth pattern we should be aiming for.
Hire clubs are available at every medium sized course. Many clubs have over 50 hire sets.
https://www.chisholmlinks.co.nz
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/heritage-rules-could-backfire-hearing-told
“….Only allowing listed buildings to be demolished when they posed a safety risk was overly restrictive and building owners should be able to demolish buildings if the positive effects outweighed the negatives.
He brought up the example of a residential house in Cumberland St which the university would likely have to demolish as part of “quite extensive” plans to redevelop Union Lawn….”
Because lawns are SO much more special than heritage buildings, right?
I’m getting my lawn listed so nobody will ever build on it.