Where to from here?

The Council is to be commended in the lengths it has gone to in promoting the coming meeting to discuss the future of our Town Hall. This is probably the most important public meeting to have been called in a long, long time. The subject is urgent and the dollars involved substantial.

One would have to been out of the district (or totally immersed in rugby) not to be aware of the situation and the decisions to be made. For those such, a brief reiteration:

The Town Hall is a recognised earthquake risk. It is built of clay bricks and mortar with no reinforcing bars. Such buildings simply do not hold together in a large earthquake and have been major contributors to deaths in both the Christchurch and Napier earthquakes. Qualified Structural Engineers rate the main hall to be only 20% of current building standard, and the Supper Room only 10% of current standard. You simply would not want to be in this Hall during a large earthquake.

The Hall suffered some damage in the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake. As a result some basic securing work was carried out in 1944. The 1991 Building Act called for inspection of such buildings. This inspection called for eight major structural improvements to be carried out, by 1997 three of these had been completed. A new Building Act in 2004 required the Council to adopt a policy re potentially earthquake prone buildings, which was done . Consequent assessments found that the hall falls far short of requirements. The situation we now face:

Four options have been costed as a starting point for discussion:
(1) Strengthen the existing hall to comply with modern standards = $1,345,000.
(2) Demolish the hall except for the front Façade and Proscenium arch framing the stage. Build a new hall of similar floor area incorporating the façade and arch = $2,308, 000.
(3) Demolish the hall and build a new on of similar floor area = $2, 238,000.
(4) Demolish the existing hall and do not rebuild = $82,000.

Eye watering amounts of money for a district already paying rates which are quite high by many standards.
However, it would be well to note what was achieved at Greytown half a dozen years ago. Here the community was faced with a very similar challenge of deciding whether to spend a huge amount on a condemned hall or demolish it. Not without controversy, the decision was made to save the hall.

The result was an outstanding success. From the financial perspective it was amazing how much was acquired (for the want of a better expression) from various grants, Trusts, donations and public fund raising. The message is very much ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’.

So now it’s Martinborough’s turn. Come to the meeting, listen to the alternatives, add your ideas, have your say. And then get in behind to support the decision made.

MEETING – 7 pm THURSDAY 24TH NOV.