Encouraging heritage property owners to invest in strengthening their buildings relies on driving up demand for retail, office and living space, says Whanganui district councillor Helen Craig.
As speculation bubbles about the future of Whanganui's earthquake-prone heritage buildings, Mrs Craig, who chairs the town centre regeneration project, says the council, Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust and Earthquake-prone Buildings (EQPB) Community Taskforce, are working together to encourage heritage building owners "every which way we can" to invest in those properties.
"If we have demand building for retail, office and living space, it's a lot more incentive for owners to do the work and put the investment in," Mrs Craig said.
"With the town centre regeneration strategy we are currently considering, under the 10-year plan, what we are going to do as a council to encourage, especially, facade retention. No decisions have been made but there's planning going on in the background about whether it could include things like rates remission or heritage grants.
"We are working closely with the Heritage Trust and EQPB Taskforce on what are all the tools in the basket we need to encourage building owners as much as possible to retain their frontages. What the council is intending to do will go out for consultation as part of our 10-year plan."