Auckland Council should support the Brisbane plan on Heritage Building Protection

This letter was published in the New Zealand Herald, Saturday March 2, 2013

Auckland Council should support the Brisbane plan on Heritage Building Protection. If the Unitary Plan is a lesser document and fails to allow public notification of intention to demolish or remove heritage buildings, then this plan will be condemned by future generations. 

Wellington City is promoting a plan to keep their heritage buildings.

Councils throughout New Zealand are engaging with central government over the inflated insurance costs that are affecting the retention of these buildings. 

Heritage buildings are a major part of our tourism crown.  Communities know their economic value and if they disappear, how difficult it is to replace this tourism income?  Tourists do not spend much on Broadway but they shop in the Newmarket heritage precinct. They do not visit Takapuna but they hang out on Ponsonby, the coffee is good but the buildings are why Ponsonby works.

Streetscape and lighting will add to the visitor experience. Cheap and cheerful buildings diminish the return and affect employment not only guides but retail and service jobs too.

In a minute an announcement can wipe out a thousand jobs.  How long does it take to create a thousand jobs?

Failure to implement the Brisbane plan will adversely affect employment too.