The people behind Dargaville’s popular Anzac Theatre are disappointed and angry that they have had to close down at short notice, with no plan in place for them to move, after the Kaipara District Council closed the building they are in due to an unsafe extension.
The council announced on Friday, April 21, that the Dargaville Town Hall would close from the following Monday, April 24, in the interest of public safety, following further damage sustained during Cyclone Gabrielle, with a partial demolition needed.
Council chief executive Jason Marris made the call after two independent reports highlighted the poor state of parts of the building, which are damp and have mould. A building surveyor found the entrance, kitchen and hall had suffered a weather-tightness failure, causing damage to the interior linings, windows and electrics. They highlighted multiple significant risks with the building. A second report, on the air quality, found very high levels of fungal spores in parts of the complex, which poses a risk to public health.
The part of the Dargaville Town Hall being knocked down is the cream-sprayed concrete section at the front that was built in the late 1990s. It includes the foyer, kitchen, toilets and the passage between the municipal chambers and the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall.
But the quick notice of closure has left the Anzac Theatre in limbo, with nowhere to go and no plan in place from the council to help. Trustees and supporters of the theatre made a presentation to the council’s Wednesday meeting last week to highlight their concerns and seek help for a way forward.