Ben McNulty: Wellington deputy mayor on the council asking for more power to strip heritage listings

Wellington City Council wants local authorities to have more power to curb heritage listings when it comes to planning law reforms.

The council’s submission asked for powers to strip buildings’ heritage listings to avoid paying compensation and to make granting heritage listings to be by consent only.

Wellington deputy mayor Ben McNulty says there's been many cases that inspired this move, including when the Gordon Wilson flats had to be pulled out through legislation. 

"We've got things like private homes that have the same heritage significance as Parliament House - that statistically zero percent of New Zealand will ever visit, cost double the insurance to maintain and you've got to get a resource consent if you want to re-roof or re-glaze." 

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