Environment Court adjudicators have reserved their decision on an appeal against the consent granted to demolish Euphraisie House, a church owned building in Hamilton.
The consent supported by the Hamilton City Council, was sought and granted by independent commissioner Murray Kivell in April 2013.
Last week the Environment Court heard an appeal against that decision by the Hamilton East Community Trust against
The trust was awarded $38,000 from the Ministry for the Environment’s Environmental Legal Assistance Fund to help with the appeal.
Phil Lang, counsel for the diocese, said demolition was appropriate due to the huge cost – about $2 million – to earthquake-strengthen the building. This created “serious financial hardship”, he said.
Lang said even if the diocese was forced to keep it and it was strengthened, they wouldn’t use the building anyway, due to fears that it would still pose an earthquake risk.
Trust counsel Robert Makgill told the hearing Euphrasie House was a category 2 building – meaning it wouldn’t need earthquake strengthening until March 31, 2030.
However, City Council lawyer Theresa Le Bas said there had been an “administrative error” and it was in fact a category 1 – with a 2019 deadline.
A new two-storey diocesan centre is planned in its place.
The smaller chapel, with a Historic Places ranking and higher heritage value, is to be retained.
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