It also announced it was bringing forward an earthquake-prone building review from 2027 “to provide greater certainty” and work was “to start immediately”.
Mr Petty told the council operations committee that two buildings, both in the central business district, were not eligible for the extension.
These buildings were not earthquake-prone.
“However, they require only minor parapet work and the owner was currently having that design work completed. They are low risk but the work still need to be done.”
The work would be completed within “the next few months”.
Mr Petty said he was disappointed by the time extension.
Councillor Andy Cranston asked if there were any issues with heritage buildings and heritage constraints.
Mr Petty said the former Scotty’s building (at the Gladstone Road Bridge end of the main street) originally had a February 2025 remediation date, but that had now been extended by four years.
It was a lovely building that had been “beautifully finished” inside and out.
Most of the required work was upstairs and that could be done without disrupting any “operations at the bottom”.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz said everyone, including herself, appeared to have forgotten Gisborne supported a Manawatū District Council submission made at last year’s Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) annual conference asking for an extension. It was a critical matter for some districts.
Mayor Stoltz said it was unusual for the Government to move so quickly.
LGNZ president Sam Broughton praised the Government’s decision.
“Safety is at the heart of why buildings need to be remediated and councils are fully committed to that,” he said.
“We are only going to get safe, thriving towns and cities if we work together on practical solutions to earthquake-strengthening.
“But without changes to the unrealistic time frames, we risked large numbers of buildings being abandoned by owners, taking the lifeblood out of our regions.”
Masonic building holding back CBD development: district councillor
The owners of the former Masonic building have been described as holding the city to ransom.
The comment came from Gisborne district councillor Larry Foster as the operations committee discussed the Government’s decision to extend the deadline for owners to earthquake-strengthen their buildings.
Cr Foster said the building had been in its current state for three of four years and was holding back development of the central business district.
The debate began when building services manager Ian Petty said the building was partly owned by police and “the owner”, and was not being improved.
(The Singaporean owner of the building is a tax evader while his son has been imprisoned on drug dealing offences).
The police “don’t really want to know” and the owner “doesn’t want to do anything much,” Mr Petty said. “We’re not really sure who the owner is.”
He had been told by the real estate sector that the Masonic building could be sold “tomorrow” for the development of apartments.
“It’s very sad it not’s happening. It would be great for inter-city living.”
Mr Petty said the building was not earthquake-prone and had been assessed at about 45 percent of the New Building Standard.
Cr Foster said the buildings being discussed by the operations committee, along with the “Tower” building were critical to the future of the CBD including the development of apartments.
No progress had been made on the Masonic building.
“It’s really disappointing to think that we’re being held to ransom between the police and the owner.”
Being left in limbo was “catastrophic”.
“How long is this going to last? It’s just ridiculous, it’s crazy.”
The Government needed to step in, he said.
“I think our CBD is at a critical stage. It’s not looking pretty.”
