Public support for heritage buildings
Almost three quarters of people in Invercargill support reducing the number of heritage buildings on the Council’s district plan, a survey has found.
The survey of more than 600 people, 74 percent of whom were Invercargill City Council ratepayers, was analysed by QuakeCoRE associate investigators Dr Esther Aigwi from Auckland University of Technology with Dr Olga Filippova and Dr Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor from the University of Auckland.
The results, published in the journal City, Culture and Society, showed 74 percent of locals agreed the number of heritage buildings listed by the Council should be reduced.
Conducted online in 2018, the survey followed on from two professional heritage assessments done for the council in 2016 and 2018, which measured the significance and character of heritage buildings in the city-centre.
At the time of the heritage assessment, it was recommended that 26 heritage buildings be removed from the protected list in the Council’s district plan, triggering public discussion over the significance of Invercargill’s heritage buildings.
The newly published survey has revealed there is significant public support of these recommendations, Dr Aigwi said.
“Almost 73 percent of people surveyed supported removing the 26 buildings from the list so the Council could focus on conserving fewer heritage buildings with more significant value in the city centre,” she said.
“Some of those surveyed raised concerns about the earthquake risk of heritage buildings and the high cost of earthquake strengthening,” she added.
“Others suggested that the demolition and replacement of ‘irrelevant’ heritage buildings could be a solution to redeveloping Invercargill’s declining city centre.”
Dr Aigwi said that with the advancement of heritage conservation and sustainable management practices, understanding the public perception of built heritage is crucial.
“This is why it’s important that local government consults with people living in the areas affected.
“Our survey illustrates this – with more than 77 percent of people believing they should have their say on what happens with heritage buildings, regarding potential alterations or demolition,” Dr Aigwi said.
The survey found the top 10 heritage buildings in Invercargill city-centre that the public wanted the Council to protect were: the former Bank of New South Wales building, the Bethel New Life building, the Grand Hotel building, the former National Bank building, the Town Hall, the Southland Times building, the Alexandra building, the Water Tower, the First Church, and the Dee Street streetscape.
Dr Aigwi said there was not enough research on the public perception of heritage buildings in New Zealand.
She said an improved understanding of what people who use and interact with heritage buildings think of them will help local government make management plans and conservation programmes for their sustainable development.