Demolishing Hutt halls would be loss for city’s heritage

Heritage group Historic Places Wellington is urging the Hutt City Council to rethink its plans for a convention centre. Demolishing two of the city’s halls is too high a price to pay for the new development, says the group’s chairman John Daniels.

“We congratulate the council on its decision to retain and strengthen the city administration block and clock tower. However, demolishing the two halls would be a big loss for the city’s heritage” he said.

"The town hall and horticultural hall date from the major civic centre redevelopment of the 1950s which gave the city a complex of fine modernist civic buildings. This complex is probably unique in New Zealand and losing the two halls would destroy a key part of it. The Hutt Civic Centre has been recognised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Historic Area, and Hutt citizens can justly feel proud of it."

"The halls have served the city well for civic and community events for decades and would be missed by groups that might not be able to afford to use a new convention centre. Historic Places Wellington urges the Council to look again at ways of incorporating one or both of the halls in a new development."