Rangitīkei District Council approves $19m new build to replace leaky council building

The Rangitīkei District Council offices in Marton will be replaced on the same site by a $19 million new build. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rangitīkei District Council is putting its earthquake-prone, leaky offices in Marton on the chopping block in favour of a $19 million new build.

Mayor Andy Watson said leaks were visible along the ceiling of his office.

“That’s just not a professional look, especially if you’re entertaining or having meetings with overseas visitors.”

He said the council had known for some time the building was not fit for purpose. It leaked and had poor Wi-Fi connectivity.

“It’s certainly not the sort of building that will entice staff to work here.”

The council office was one of three major projects involving earthquake-prone buildings that needed re-strengthening across the Rangitīkei District and had to be finished within a limited timeframe.

Mayor Andy Watson says the building is no longer fit for purpose. Photo / Bevan Conley

“What has become painfully obvious is it just keeps getting more expensive and difficult,” Watson said.

The council is allocating $19m from its Long-Term Plan budget towards the build.

Watson said this was to provide for any unforeseen costs that could crop up during the building process, with the initial pricing estimate being $15m.

The new council administration building will incorporate the library and information centre on the existing High St site.

An option to build on a corner block of Broadway and High St was ruled out due to the rising costs of redevelopment and the complexity of the site.

“One of the benefits of building on this existing site is that it can be done piece by piece, so we can continue to use the site and relocate people into the buildings,” Watson said.

He said council staff acknowledged the failings of the building and had been frustrated.

Building on the existing site would mean the council did not have to go through an additional consenting process and could stick to the Long-Term Plan budget.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.