New move to keep landmark standing

Any commercial use of the Jean Batten Building is fine, says the Historic Places Trust, as long as interior and exterior features are preserved. Picture / Greg Bowker

The Historic Places Trust has put up another barrier to stop the Bank of New Zealand demolishing the Jean Batten Building in central Auckland to build new headquarters.

In a rare move, the trust has required the Auckland City Council to begin the process of issuing a heritage order on the threatened landmark.

If a heritage order is issued, the bank would be unable to touch the building without permission from the trust.

Last month, the trust registered the building as a category 1 historic place - the same status as the Treaty House at Waitangi and Parliament Buildings in Wellington. This recorded the building's historic significance, but did not prevent the bank from demolishing it.

The trust's northern general manager, Sherry Reynolds, said a High Court decision just before Christmas upholding the bank's demolition consent meant the Jean Batten Building was still at risk.

This followed an unsuccessful appeal by the Art Deco Society against an Environment Court ruling that the bank's demolition consent had not expired in December 2004 and was valid until 2007.

Sherry Reynolds yesterday reiterated the historic significance of the seven-storey building as one of the earliest major Government office blocks in New Zealand constructed in the Moderne style.

Built between 1937 and 1942, it was designed by Government Architect John Mair to meet the needs of an expanding state service during the first Labour Government. It was the home of the United States Pacific Command during World War II and had links with New Zealand's most famous pilot, Jean Batten, she said.

"As far as we are concerned any commercial use of the building would be fine, provided the external and internal features of heritage significance are retained. It obviously needs some work on it."

The bank, which owns a prime block off Queen St that includes the building, wants to develop the site for new headquarters.

Central area planning manager Vijay Lala said the council would publicly notify the heritage order and hear submissions before making a recommendation to the trust.

If the council agreed to issue a heritage order, the bank could appeal to the Environment Court.

Mr Lala said the heritage order process would not affect a moratorium in place since last March, under which the bank agreed not to demolish the building in exchange for the council not scheduling it under the district plan. The heritage order was a separate matter brought by the trust under the Resource Management Act, he said.

Sherry Reynolds said: "The demolition permit is hanging over the building at the moment. We don't know what is being proposed by the council and what the BNZ are looking at, subject to their moratorium and in-house discussions."

BNZ spokeswoman Brenda Newth said the heritage order had legal ramifications. Under the moratorium with the council, the bank had agreed to look at all options for the building and this was continuing.