Plans for heritage centre on Stewart Island

A trust is negotiating with the Fire Service Commission to lease land on which to build a heritage centre on Stewart Island.

Rakiura Information and Heritage Centre Trust wants to build the centre within three years and trust chairman Peter Goomes said the building would act as a one-stop information centre.

It was hoped to build the centre, estimated to cost about $3.1 million, beside the Department of Conservation centre at Halfmoon Bay, the Southland Times reported.

A commission spokeswoman confirmed that discussions over the land were taking place, and the parties were working out a basis for agreement.

No final decision had yet been made.

"There is a lot of work to do - we have to agree on the land for the start and once that is done we have to go to an architect and start drawing up plans and raise the money," Mr Goomes said.

"We have been trying to do this for years, it is something that is really needed here," he said.

- NZPA

NZS