May 11th, 2026 – Building Update
Construction fencing has now been purchased and will be erected at the four corners of the building, as an immediate public safety measure. This will not impede traffic flow nor parking.
This action follows direct instruction from the property owner and further specialist investigations which have confirmed critical and escalating structural safety risks associated with that front building. Most concerning is the condition of the roof structure, where concrete tiles have significantly shifted and deteriorated to the point that there is a credible risk of tiles dislodging and falling. Professional advice received is that this presents a genuine risk of property damage, serious injury, or fatality should collapse occur.
Advice has therefore been clear that immediate progress toward demolition is warranted due to the accelerating deterioration of the structure.
Investigations over the past year since evacuation have revealed extensive and compounding issues throughout that building, including:
The trentepohlia pathogenic fungus is now insidiously widespread; its airborne spores leave a salty-rusty taste in the throat. Of particular concern has been the discovery that beneath sections of the flooring original pile supports had failed entirely due to empty kerosene tins filled with sand to make the piles. Rust deterioration over time has contributed to loss of effective support.
A historical parish document dating from approximately 1954 further notes:
“The construction as built in 1921/22 was only partially completed... After the Napier earthquake [1931] the building codes were revised by Wellington City Corporation, and it is doubtful whether the building would have met even the prior codes.”
Wellington City Council has confirmed that:
All movable items within the church remain the property of the Diocese and have been carefully itemised, catalogued, and prepared for storage and future use where appropriate.
This has been a deeply difficult process for many people, and we continue to acknowledge the emotional and spiritual significance the old building has held across generations. At the same time, our responsibility is to act carefully, lawfully, and safely for the wellbeing of both parishioners and the wider public.
At present, the erection of construction fencing is the necessary immediate step as preparations continue toward demolition.
Thanks to everyone in the community for your ongoing support and understanding.
…………………………………………………………
Construction fencing has now been purchased and will be erected at the four corners of the building, as an immediate public safety measure. This will not impede traffic flow nor parking.
This action follows direct instruction from the property owner and further specialist investigations which have confirmed critical and escalating structural safety risks associated with that front building. Most concerning is the condition of the roof structure, where concrete tiles have significantly shifted and deteriorated to the point that there is a credible risk of tiles dislodging and falling. Professional advice received is that this presents a genuine risk of property damage, serious injury, or fatality should collapse occur.
Advice has therefore been clear that immediate progress toward demolition is warranted due to the accelerating deterioration of the structure.
Investigations over the past year since evacuation have revealed extensive and compounding issues throughout that building, including:
- significant cracking and deterioration within walls,
- advancing moisture damage,
- visible efflorescence (white mineral deposits caused by water penetration),
- trentepohlia (red algae growth),
- black mould development,
- and serious subfloor concerns.
The trentepohlia pathogenic fungus is now insidiously widespread; its airborne spores leave a salty-rusty taste in the throat. Of particular concern has been the discovery that beneath sections of the flooring original pile supports had failed entirely due to empty kerosene tins filled with sand to make the piles. Rust deterioration over time has contributed to loss of effective support.
A historical parish document dating from approximately 1954 further notes:
“The construction as built in 1921/22 was only partially completed... After the Napier earthquake [1931] the building codes were revised by Wellington City Corporation, and it is doubtful whether the building would have met even the prior codes.”
Wellington City Council has confirmed that:
- the building is not heritage listed,
- liability for public safety rests with the property owner,
- and demolition approval has been granted.
All movable items within the church remain the property of the Diocese and have been carefully itemised, catalogued, and prepared for storage and future use where appropriate.
This has been a deeply difficult process for many people, and we continue to acknowledge the emotional and spiritual significance the old building has held across generations. At the same time, our responsibility is to act carefully, lawfully, and safely for the wellbeing of both parishioners and the wider public.
At present, the erection of construction fencing is the necessary immediate step as preparations continue toward demolition.
Thanks to everyone in the community for your ongoing support and understanding.
…………………………………………………………
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March 6th, 2026 Update "What is happening with that old building?"
Walter Brueggemann reminds us that truthful naming of reality leads us through grief and, ultimately, toward hope, whereas clinging to ideals we cannot sustain leads to denial and, in time, despair. In that spirit of pastoral honesty, we want to speak plainly about the reality of our old sanctuary building.
Where we are now
Our sanctuary building is closed and not safe for public use. Over recent years, pieces of concrete have fallen from the internal walls due to what some builders refer to as the well‑known process called alkali-silica-reaction. At times this has included a “shrapnel effect,” where fragments of cracked concrete have flown across the space. Because of these safety concerns, and after receiving multiple informal reports, the Diocese Property Team made the decision to close that building until further notice.
Although that building is associated with our parish, the title deed has been handed to the Wellington Anglican Diocese. While we remain emotionally and spiritually connected to the building, decisions about its use and safety now sit at a diocesan level.
What the reports have consistently said
Over time, various assessments have made the same core points:
Why nothing is likely to change
In Aotearoa New Zealand, demolition costs are generally covered by insurance only if a building is deemed a total loss or “uneconomic to repair” following a specific insured event (such as fire or natural disaster). Our building, while deeply compromised, could technically be patched, and therefore is unlikely to be formally condemned by the Council or written off by insurers.
At the same time, our parish has no budget capacity to fund maintenance, repairs, demolition, or rebuilding. We also have two other buildings (hall, vicarage) needing maintenance. For these reasons, the most realistic expectation is this: that building will remain closed and unused for the foreseeable future — while still costing us money in rates and insurance.
Naming the grief — and the hope
This is not the future any of us would have chosen. It is right to grieve the loss of a sacred space filled with memory, prayer, music, and sacrament. Grief is not failure; it is faithfulness to what has mattered.
At the same time, our hope has never rested in buildings. ‘The Church’ is not a building, but a people gathered in Christ’s name. We continue to live out the calling of who we are as God’s people and we give thanks that we still have a Hall building to gather in regularly.
We offer this summary not to close conversation, but to ground it in reality, so that whatever hope God grows among us will be honest, resilient, and shared.
A Lament for Our Sanctuary
Faithful God, we come to You naming what is real, not what we wish were true. We bring you the truth of our loss.
We grieve the closing of a place with walls that now fail, concrete that crumbles, a building no longer safe for Your people. We lament what time and decay have taken from us. Deliver us from false hope that leads only to despair.
Give us courage to face what is, and grace to grieve what has been lost. We place our building, our grief, and our future into Your hands. Amen.
[email protected]
March 6th, 2026 Update "What is happening with that old building?"
Walter Brueggemann reminds us that truthful naming of reality leads us through grief and, ultimately, toward hope, whereas clinging to ideals we cannot sustain leads to denial and, in time, despair. In that spirit of pastoral honesty, we want to speak plainly about the reality of our old sanctuary building.
Where we are now
Our sanctuary building is closed and not safe for public use. Over recent years, pieces of concrete have fallen from the internal walls due to what some builders refer to as the well‑known process called alkali-silica-reaction. At times this has included a “shrapnel effect,” where fragments of cracked concrete have flown across the space. Because of these safety concerns, and after receiving multiple informal reports, the Diocese Property Team made the decision to close that building until further notice.
Although that building is associated with our parish, the title deed has been handed to the Wellington Anglican Diocese. While we remain emotionally and spiritually connected to the building, decisions about its use and safety now sit at a diocesan level.
What the reports have consistently said
Over time, various assessments have made the same core points:
- Significant sums (many thousands of dollars) would be required just to patch fallen or failing concrete.
- These costs are well beyond the financial capacity of our parish. Further, we have been directly informed that the Diocese has no cash reserves that could be allocated to this project.
- More importantly, patching is not a real solution. Due to the roof needing to be replaced decades ago the walls have reached maximum moisture saturation, and the internal metal framework is rusted.
- Engineers and building professionals have been clear in their informal statements: any money spent now would ultimately be wasted.
Why nothing is likely to change
In Aotearoa New Zealand, demolition costs are generally covered by insurance only if a building is deemed a total loss or “uneconomic to repair” following a specific insured event (such as fire or natural disaster). Our building, while deeply compromised, could technically be patched, and therefore is unlikely to be formally condemned by the Council or written off by insurers.
At the same time, our parish has no budget capacity to fund maintenance, repairs, demolition, or rebuilding. We also have two other buildings (hall, vicarage) needing maintenance. For these reasons, the most realistic expectation is this: that building will remain closed and unused for the foreseeable future — while still costing us money in rates and insurance.
Naming the grief — and the hope
This is not the future any of us would have chosen. It is right to grieve the loss of a sacred space filled with memory, prayer, music, and sacrament. Grief is not failure; it is faithfulness to what has mattered.
At the same time, our hope has never rested in buildings. ‘The Church’ is not a building, but a people gathered in Christ’s name. We continue to live out the calling of who we are as God’s people and we give thanks that we still have a Hall building to gather in regularly.
We offer this summary not to close conversation, but to ground it in reality, so that whatever hope God grows among us will be honest, resilient, and shared.
A Lament for Our Sanctuary
Faithful God, we come to You naming what is real, not what we wish were true. We bring you the truth of our loss.
We grieve the closing of a place with walls that now fail, concrete that crumbles, a building no longer safe for Your people. We lament what time and decay have taken from us. Deliver us from false hope that leads only to despair.
Give us courage to face what is, and grace to grieve what has been lost. We place our building, our grief, and our future into Your hands. Amen.
[email protected]