Escalating costs of community halls and buildings across the district may see some demolished or divested under a Central Otago District Council review.

The Cromwell Community Board (CCB) agreed this week to retain both the Tarras Community Hall and the museum building in the mall, but the Maniototo may lose up to 10 facilities.

Staff told the CCB that many of the old halls and community buildings had been built after World War 2 and it took a lot to maintain them financially.

Mayor Tamah Alley said Cromwell was lucky as it only had the two under review but other areas such as the Maniototo had many more, “and we have to look at how often they are used, some only twice a year, and some still twice a week.”

Some of the old buildings such as the Ranfurly, Patearoa, and Naseby halls required up to $1million to bring them up to seismic standards.

Some facilities were still tenanted including the Naseby General Store which was used as a NZ Post agency, and the Centennial Milk Bar that was used as a gallery, second hand shop and beauty treatment business. The Fenton Library was used as a community radio

station.

The Ranfurly Town Hall has also been moved from the ‘divestment’ list back to being retained by the CODC. PHOTO SUPPLIED

A report from asset management team leader Janice Remnant recommended that only the Maniototo Stadium and Rugby Clubrooms, Maniototo Arts Centre and Ranfurly Railway Station be retained as budged in the draft Long Term Plan (2025-34).

But the Maniototo Community Board fought back yesterday, and managed to push the Ranfurly Hall, Naseby Hall, Naseby General Store, Centennial Milk Bar and the Wallace Memorial Rooms back onto the list to retain.

The Patearoa Hall, Waipiata Hall, Wedderburn Hall, Fenton Library and Ranfurly Service Centre remained on the list to be divested.

Board member and district councillor Stu Duncan said he had just come from the school break up in the Ranfurly Hall, and now they were talking about divesting it.

The joke at the Christmas party he had just attended was that Cromwell was getting a new hall, Omakau a new Community Hub and Maniototo's buildings were all being divested, he said.

“If we get this wrong . . .” he warned.  

“Everyone has to have a town hall.’’

“The problem I have is, we are budgeting for the earthquake strengthening, but we don’t even know when that will happen?”

The CODC has recommended the Patearoa hall be demolished. CODC PHOTO

He questioned how accurate the figures were, and then asked if Council closed those buildings, would it then mean they could not use them as a community because of the earthquake risk?

Staff confirmed that if the community took over ownership of some of the halls and buildings, they would have until 2052 to earthquake strengthen them.

“So what? 30 years from now, so why are we divesting them? Why are we pulling the trigger early?” he said.

Council confirmed the list of ‘contingency’ buildings in the Maniototo the council would be asked to take over would continue to grow, when clubs start to fold.

The squash club and bowling club were two examples of groups that were not currently well supported.

“We’re trying to save money in the fastest growth period in the district,” Cr Duncan said.

The Central Otago District Council would consider the recommendations at its final meeting of the year next week, and then the list will go out for public consultation for submissions.

Where divestment was recommended, that could mean a community group acquired the building to maintain the on-going operational maintenance or earthquake strengthening of the building as an alternative of ratepayers.

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