KATE RUSSELL, ANDREW BOARD and SARA HOLLYMAN
A decision by Nelson City Council to build a new Civic Hub on Church St, instead of renovating Civic House, has triggered a wave of anger, frustration and protest.
More than 200 Nelsonians took to Trafalgar St on Monday afternoon to protest the decision. It follows a wave of negative feedback on social media and an online petition.
People say they don't feel listened to and that the council's decision to pursue the most expensive option at a time when household costs are under pressure is "tone deaf".
Ratepayer Shelley Bishop organised the protest outside Civic House on Monday afternoon. She says she was ecstatic with the turnout.
“This just goes to show how important this is to Nelson people.”
Last Thursday, council chose a new build on Church St as its preferred option for a combined community hub, library and civic space. Of the 1373 submitters who picked an option during consultation, 858 (62.5 per cent) chose redeveloping Civic House, 336 (24.5 per cent) chose Church St and 179 chose Collingwood St.
Only Mayor Nick Smith and councillors Tim Skinner and Lisa Austin formally opposed the decision. Mel Courtney declared a conflict of interest and abstained.
Nick addressed Monday's protest. Tim, Lisa as well as councillors Matty Anderson and Aaron Stallard also attended, and Shelley had invited every councillor.
Asked whether the council had bought the Church St properties, Nick said council had secured options on the land needed for each of the three consultation options. Those options expire at the end of November.
“The chief executive advised me this morning that council is intending to proceed with these property purchases in Church St, Hardy St and Selwyn Place.”
'Paying more for less'
Nick says a project this size, larger than anything council has taken on in decades, needs a public mandate.
“None of the other councillors around the table campaigned openly at the election, only a year ago, on spending about $80 million on a new civic house.”
He says the consultation document, which council approved unanimously, showed Church St costing $15 million more for about 1000 square metres less space.
“So, you’re paying more for less. You can’t change the information when you don’t like the result of the consultation.”
He also rejects claims that around 500 submissions about The Free House on Collingwood St skewed the result. He says the council officers’ report found that removing them barely changed the split between Civic House and Church St.
In his view, councillors gave too much weight to “wanting something shiny and new” and to the disruption for staff.
Some councillors have criticised Nick for speaking out against the decision so soon after the vote and that he "flamed the fire" of public outrage.
He says his first duty is to the people who elected him.
“As mayor I must be honourable with the public about what I promised I would do when I campaigned for the job.”
‘It’s just wrong’
Aaron Stallard stands by the decision to choose Church St and says consultation was one important part of a bigger picture.
“Consultation feedback always will be one of many factors that councillors have to factor and give weighting to. Councillors can make a decision that differs if there are adequate reasons.”
He says claims that councillors ignored the public are false.
“It’s unhelpful and it sets up councillors to be attacked and creates misinformation.”
He says a Civic House refurbishment would be compromised by existing ceiling heights and pillars, and by the fact that it is “basically three buildings combining to one”. It would also carry greater construction risk and do nothing to rejuvenate the city centre. Moving staff out for two years or more would have costs that are hard to quantify, including disruption, a lower level of service and a reduced ability to attract staff.
Church St, by contrast, would be purpose-built, future-proofed and energy efficient. It would face what he hopes will be “a wonderful area”.
Civic House was about $15 million cheaper up front, but he says the gap shrinks to $5.8 million once whole-of-life costs are counted.
At Thursday’s meeting, Nick said choosing anything other than Civic House would be “giving the public of Nelson a one finger salute”. Aaron called that comment “appalling”.
At the same meeting, councillor Nigel Skeggs argued that choosing Church St kept council’s options open. If Church St proved unviable, he said, Civic House would still be standing, but committing to Civic House would mean losing the Church St land.
Caught in the middle
Matty Anderson backed Civic House at the meeting and voted for Church St only after the Civic House option fell. He says he worked hard to reach people who don’t normally take part in consultation, carrying laminated A4 sheets everywhere he went.
“I was really selling consultation hard, so the community voice trumped everything for me. I was waiting to hear something concrete around costs for Church St and I didn’t.”
He says he understands why the community is outraged and doesn’t feel heard. If he weren’t on council, he says he would have joined the protest. Even so, he says Nick’s comments were “unhelpful”.
“Just cos I think I’m right, doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Eventually we’re all going to have to be on team Church St.”
Nick urged opponents to protest peacefully, petition council, make deputations and speak to councillors “respectfully and not abusively”.
“The only way the new Church St civic house won’t go ahead is if the councillors who supported it listen to the public and change their minds.”
