1982
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released
Out of scope
20. Further information on the Dixon Street remediation and Out of scope development project
are provided below.
134 Dixon Street, Te Aro
Project Background
under the Official Information Act 1982
21. 134 Dixon Street is an existing 11-storey building containing 117 social housing units,
which was built in 1940.
22. The building is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place on the New Zealand Heritage
List/Rārangi Kōrero maintained by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The
Released
building has also been scheduled as a heritage building in the Wellington City District
Plan since 1994.
23. A Detailed Seismic Assessment was completed in October 2020 which determined the
building has a strength of 40% New Building Standard (NBS). This is above the legal
threshold for being considered “earthquake prone” (less than 34% NBS) but remains
an earthquake risk. Kāinga Ora’s policy seeks, where practical to achieve 67% NBS.
This is to reduce the risk to occupants and assets from earthquakes.
24. Kāinga Ora has been looking at options for the future of this building, as many
components of the building (i.e building services and roof) are reaching the end of
their useful life and require replacement. Additionally, the units do not meet current
standards of living, including healthy homes standards and acoustic performance.
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GSR-24-14522 Major projects in Wellington Central
25. Rehousing of existing customers began in November 2022 and the building is
expected to be fully vacant by the end of August 2024. The homes at Dixon Street
have not been included within our portfolio numbers in this paper. Works to secure the
building whilst it is vacant are due to commence shortly and a security and
maintenance plan is also being put in place to manage vandalism and antisocial
behaviour.
Strategic Options
26. Demolishing and redeveloping the existing building is not currently considered feasible
due to the Category 1 heritage designation that applies to the site, and would be
contrary to the policies of the WCC District Plan, and the Government Policy for
Management of Cultural Heritage Places (2022).
27. Depending on the level of earthquake strengthening, the building will require
significant investment of $80 million to $125 million if it is to be retained for use as
social housing. Work on refining the cost of this option is ongoing. Due to the
condition of the building and the need to protect its heritage value, any remediation
1982
works will be complex to undertake and have a higher risk profile than a traditional
development project.
Act
28. We are considering alternative options including divestment and replacing the units
with acquisitions.
29. The property is subject to a Right of First Refusal (RFR). Port Nicholson Block
Settlement Trust (PNBST) are the mandated iwi authority that manages the Treaty
Settlement on behalf of their broader beneficiaries of Taranaki Whānui. Engagement
with PNBST has been ongoing, and they have indicated that they may have an
Information
interest in the site if the RFR was offered.
30. We aim to expedite decision making on the long-term future of this building given the
ongoing operational costs of maintaining a vacant building and the reputational risk of
117 social housing units being vacant when Wellington Central has a high demand for
Official
social housing. We will formally consult with you on the options for Dixon Street in
September 2024.
the
Out of scope
under
Released
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GSR-24-14522 Major projects in Wellington Central
Out of scope
1982
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Next Steps
Released
43. Kāinga Ora is currently assessing investment options for Dixon Street and Out of scope to
ensure the final proposals present good value for money. We will consult with you on
these over the coming months.
Daniel Soughtton
Deputy Chief Executive- Central
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GSR-24-14522 Major projects in Wellington Central
