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West Auckland's most prominent heritage campaigner says today's demolition of the old New Lynn Hotel will be "unseemly and tragic" for Waitakere City.
Sandra Coney said the two-storey brick building had been a landmark for 130 years on Great North Rd and it was a watering hole for pioneering gumdiggers and bushmen.
The Auckland Regional Council member said the ARC wrote to Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey in April, urging the city to protect and restore the building.
"I got a three-liner back, saying it would come down unless the ARC paid," said Ms Coney.
Waitakere's New Lynn ward councillor, Derek Battersby, said everyone regretted the demolition of the council-owned building.
"But the place is now in a dangerous state of repair and could fall down at any time."
The building has category 1 heritage status under Waitakere's District Plan.
In 1995, the council saved the building from demolition by its previous owner, who said its structure was too weak to repair.
It was damaged by fires by the time the council was able to buy it in 2005.
The West Auckland Historical Society and the Historic Places Trust agreed to today's demolition.
But Ms Coney said she visited it a few weeks ago with city officials and thought it was intended to carry out an independent heritage assessment.
"Instead, it made the final decision apparently on a report where an engineer walked around the building and made a visual inspection."
The demolition contractor says he had to shore up the sides of the building with steel beams for the safety of workers.
