1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Wellington City Council wants more power to strip heritage listings. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: It's made a submission on the New Rama asking for 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: the power to dlist structures already given heritage status, and 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: it also wants private homeowners to have the power to 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: say no to heritage listing. Ben McNulty is the Deputy 6 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 1: Mayor of Wellington High Ben cure to heather any structures 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: of mine that you want to strip. 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: Oh, they've got the rusting oil tank and Merrima that 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 2: the last council unanimously voted to de list. We've got 10 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 2: Gordon Wilson which had to be pulled out through legislation. 11 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: We've got things like private homes that have the same 12 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: heritage significance as Parliament House fit Statistically, zero percent of 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 2: New Zealand will ever visit, cost double the insurance to 14 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: maintain them. Got to get a resource consent to few 15 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: in a reroof or reglaze. So properties like that where 16 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: it's just completely inappropriate. 17 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So where are these houses that are so protected? 18 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: So the one particularly I'm thinking of as in Nio, 19 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: but there's a few dotted around Wellington that have that 20 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 2: level of protection. In the Hut Valley, there's about one 21 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: hundred and seventy in the area. And again it's the 22 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: regulatory burden that actually comes with having that listing on there. 23 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: Your insurance premium got to rebuild to a certain standard. 24 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 2: So there's got to be an element of consent in here, 25 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 2: because the upkeep and maintenance costs when your rates are 26 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: going up, your powers going up, and your wages aren't moving, 27 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: is creating a real burden on those homeowners. 28 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: But are these particularly special houses? Is there something special 29 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: about them? 30 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: Oh? I mean the one I'm referencing in Nio is 31 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 2: just seen as historic because it has some nineteen sixties 32 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: features and it was designed by a relatively prominent architect. 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 2: Does that give it the same level as national significance 34 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: as Parliament House? I don't really see how, But that's 35 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 2: what Heritage Heritage New Zealand have determined. 36 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: Oh lord, okay, Now I love the idea that as 37 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: a homeowner you can say no, I do not want 38 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: to I don't want this place to be heritage listed, 39 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: go away. But doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose 40 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: if you've got an entire suburb that is supposed to 41 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: be heritage list So that's its look, right, and then 42 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: you've got some pockets saying yes, some pockets saying no. 43 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: You've got random buildings popping up in the middle. 44 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: If we had a working system, I'd buy into that argument. 45 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: But our offices gave an incredible summation this morning. But 46 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: the current heritage system is a pressure valve. Once something 47 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 2: goes in, it does not come out. There was one 48 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: property we managed to delist when we passed our district 49 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 2: plan in twenty twenty four. That property we delisted it 50 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: because it no longer exists. It's burnt down. That's the 51 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: level of dysfunction that we have in heritage rules right now. 52 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 2: So there's something advocating for a pretty bold position on it, 53 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 2: but it's because we need to move the over to 54 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: the window and realize that holding onto absolutely everything in 55 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: the past is not doing this country any favors. 56 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: You know, you realize it will surprise people that it's 57 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: coming from Wellington. 58 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: This argument, Well, I think actually we're quite progressive when 59 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: it comes to building on Wellington. You know, you'll be 60 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: talking about Chris Bishop's back down in Auckland today, I'm sure, 61 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 2: But we in Wellington embraced the opportunities that come of 62 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: up zoning. If you build more housing where you have infrastructure, 63 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: it has less marginal cost, you have more great payers 64 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: and that stuff's all good for city vitality and for 65 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 2: the council's balance sheet. So yeah, look, when it comes 66 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 2: to building and government Wellington, we actually see quite a 67 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 2: lot of things eye to eye. 68 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,239 Speaker 1: For I mean, Ben, what I mean is you sound 69 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: more act than an ACT Party MP. 70 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the ACT Party they talk a big game 71 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: when it comes to sort of libertarianism and property rights, 72 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 2: but it doesn't seem to follow through around the parliamentary circle. 73 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: But I've come to this position out of being a 74 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: Wellington City councilor and when we approved three hundred and 75 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: twenty million dollars to approve the town Hall because we 76 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: literally had no other choice, something in me broke here. 77 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,239 Speaker 2: And since then I've really been on a crusade to 78 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 2: modernize our dysfunctional, ridiculous heritage laws. 79 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: Ben, thank you very much, very much, appreciate your time 80 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: has been McNaughty, Wellington City Deputy Mayor. 81 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplissy Allen Drive, listen live to 82 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 83 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.