Art of Remembrance Last Day Commemorations

The Last Day of “Remembrance” of the art installation at St David’s soldiers’ memorial church in Khyber Pass was marked by a very special presentation on 23 July. Corporal Apiata, VC presented Mark Bramwell, grandson of New Zealand’s only Gallipoli VC, and first WWI VC, Lieutenant Colonel Bassett, with a...

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Quake Rules Threaten Town’s “Urban Fabric”

Rules for strengthening the nation’s at-risk heritage buildings make them vulnerable to a different sort of damage, argues Olga Filippova, University of Auckland Business School Property Specialist, in the Business School’s July email newsletter. She says “Rules governing the strengthening of earthquake-prone buildings have been modified following submissions by engineering...

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Unitary Plan Panel against Pre 1944 Demolition Control Overlay

On Wednesday 15 July, the Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel released interim guidance which said it was not convinced that houses in character areas necessarily qualified for historic heritage status and protection. The panel said the council’s proposed interim demolition control overlay put unnecessary pressure on landowners wanting to develop...

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Winter Lecture: Lopdell House Redevelopment

Our first Winter Lecture for 2015 was held on Sunday 12 July. Civic Trust Board member architect Julian Mitchell from Mitchell Stout Architects presented on the redevelopment of the scheduled heritage Lopdell House, and the construction of the new Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, linked to the older building.  Julian...

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Port Victory

The High Court has ruled that resource consents should not have been granted for Ports of Auckland’s extension of  Bledisloe Wharf.  Work on the wharf has been stopped. The decision by Justice Geoffrey Venning is a significant victory for Urban Auckland, Stop Stealing our Harbour and the thousands of Aucklanders who protested in various...

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