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The former Maungatūroto Centennial Memorial Library and Women’s Rest Rooms will be demolished after an assessment confirmed the building is no longer safe or fit for use.
The decision was made by elected members at yesterday’s council meeting (Tuesday 23 June), due to the building’s severe structural issues and contamination risks.
The building, on Hurndall Street West, has been closed to the public since late March. Investigations confirmed structural failure, significant water damage, asbestos contamination, and extremely high levels of mould.
Kaipara District Council Mayor Jonathan Larsen said the decision balanced safety, cost and community impact.
“We know this building has a long history in Maungatūroto, and this hasn’t been an easy decision. But the reality is the building is no longer safe, and the scale of work needed to bring it back into use is simply too great.”
“Our focus now is on what comes next – working with the community on future library services and making sure the site continues to serve local needs.”
Built in the late 1930s, the building is listed as a Category B heritage resource under the Proposed District Plan. Council considered options to retain or remediate the building, including preserving part of the structure.
However, Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Jazz Singh said those options were not viable.
“Staff looked carefully at whether the building could be saved, but the level of significant structural issues and contamination, including asbestos and mould, make it unsafe to occupy.”
“Remediation would be complex, high risk and costly, with no guarantee of a workable outcome. Demolition removes those risks and allows us to plan the next steps for the site.”
In the meantime, elected members and staff have worked with representatives of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church to have library services operating from the Footprints Room for the next year.
Further updates will be provided as the work progresses.
View the council meeting discussion and decision on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel(at 2:39).
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