Phil Barry: Voluntary Heritage Group Convenor on the need for a shakeup to heritage building rules

An advocate says there needs to be a major shakeup of the rules around heritage buildings.  

Local Government New Zealand President Sam Broughton says current legislation means it's hard to take action on vacant buildings.  

A remit has been passed at the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington, asking for stronger powers.  

Lower Hutt's Voluntary Heritage Group Convenor Phil Barry told Mike Hosking heritage rules are too tight.  

He says once a building is on the list, even if it becomes run down, it's almost impossible to get it removed. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Might be seeing some real change in the area of
heritage buildings and the rules around what you can and
can't do with them. So the thinking is, unless it's
truly special, you know you're old a one, we need
to loosen the rules allow those who are tied up
with derelict buildings that you know, they can do something
with them, as opposed to just leaving them derelict. Anyway,
the Voluntary Heritage Group canven a filled barries with us
on this film. Morning to you, Good morning mate. This

(00:20):
sort of thing going to happen or is it just
an idea?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
I know we're very positive about the momentum for change.
The problem is like the current system of protecting heritage
properties is broken. Councils around the country are adding thousands
of ordinary homes to lists, imposing huge costs on people
without owner's consent and without any compensation.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
I'm assuming Chris Bishop gets all this and that's why
he wants to do something about it.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I think he does, Mike. I think the second problem
is that properties that are on the list are being neglected,
run down and becoming derelict, and yet it's impossible, almost
impossible to remove.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
The list exactly because to do something it's too expensive,
too much red tape.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Too much red tape. And you know it comes back
at the end of the day to people's property rights right,
that basic principle here in this country. And yet thousands
of ordinary homes have been singled out unfairly, property rights
removed and huge costs, and those costs are just being
denied by the Heritage New Zealand. Yet the reality is

(01:33):
in this strong empirical evidence of ours that once the
house is heritage listed, on average as value goes down
by between eighteen and thirty percent.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yes, I've dealt with a number of houses in my
time about it. It's nothing more than a pain in
the uno. What do you have a timeline on this?
Do you have any idea when this is going to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
We would love to see it encoded in the next
RMA reform bill, which I think has been introduced later
this year. Yeah, it's got to be.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
It couldn't agree more. I hope it comes out. Your wife,
Phil appreciate it. Phil Berry, who's the volunteer Heritage group
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