Housewife Protests Against Demolition

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 18

Housewife Protests Against Demolition

(New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, December 18. The winner of the “Mrs New Zealand” contest, Mrs M. Brown, of Stoke, is sitting by the side of Nelson’s main street in an armchair to protest against the demolition of the Nelson Provincial Building.

She is collecting signatures for a petition to be sent to the Prime Minister (Mr Holy- I oake). Tenders for the demolition of the large wooden building in Bridge Street closed yes- ' terday. But in 1860 as the seat of provincial government in Nelson, it is a copy of Haddon Hall, England. Until the opening two years ago of a block of Government offices next door, the provincial building housed various State organisations such as the Justice Department and the Lands and Survey Department. It has since been unoccupied and is in poor repair.

Tenders for the demolition were called on November 29 by the Minister of Works (Mr Allen) who then said that the building had been investigated by the Historic Places Trust, which could not find finance for its preservation.’ Local organisations circulated a petition to the Minister for preservation of the building and a counter-peti-tion for its demolition was also supported. The successful tenderer for the demolition is the Archer Construction Company. Its price is $lBOO. The contractor is not allowed on the site until January 24 and must have it cleared by April 28.