Wellington City Council are putting pressure on the Government to make it easier to remove heritage listings from buildings.

A letter from the Council written to RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop states the city has 554 quake-prone buildings, 163 of which are heritage listed.

The letter suggests building owners are increasingly becoming unable to meet the cost of quake-strengthening or redevelopment.

Wellington City Councillor Ben McNulty says the current system simply isn't working.

"In October, there was no other option but to spend that ungodly amount of $320 million on the town hall in a water crisis because it's category 1 heritage-listed. And that meant we were never going to have a reasonable alternative." 

LISTEN ABOVE

Wellington City Council are putting pressure on the Government to make it easier to remove heritage listings from buildings.
A letter from the Council written to RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop states the city has 554 quake-prone buildings, 163 of which are heritage listed.
The letter suggests building owners are increasingly becoming unable to meet the cost of quake-strengthening or redevelopment.
Wellington City Councillor Ben McNulty says the current system simply isn't working.
"In October, there was no other option but to spend that ungodly amount of $320 million on the town hall in a water crisis because it's category 1 heritage-listed. And that meant we were never going to have a reasonable alternative." 
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.