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Blair Jackson / Stuff
Lindsay Gutsell, a native of Otautau, is concerned about the future of small towns in Southland with the proposed changes to earthquake-prone building regulations.
Walking down the main street of Otautau, Lindsay Gutsell is genuinely concerned about the small towns of Southland.
The main street of a city is its central meeting place, he says.
“It’s about keeping small towns alive.”
Gutsell was one of seven people who spoke about their presentations at a Southland District Council committee meeting Thursday on how buildings will be upgraded to earthquake standards in the future.
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The council requested a public consultation that asked whether the main streets of Otautau, Riverton, Tuatapere, Winton and Wyndham should be prioritized for earthquake work.
The changes could mean that buildings on the five main streets would have to be purchased at standard level in 12 1/2 years.
Gutsell said Things many buildings on the main streets of Southland cities were owned by small investors who were unprepared for expensive improvements.
He grew up in Otautau, lived in Invercargill and then Australia before returning to Southland in 2017, and now runs a coffee roasting business in Christchurch.
His parents are still in Otautau and he worries that his hometown’s central gathering place will be empty in the next few years.
The costs to raise building standards would be expensive, at a time when many buildings in cities like Otautau and Winton are empty.
Gutsell owns a building leased to a hairdresser next to the Otautau Hotel.
Blair Jackson / Stuff
Vacant buildings on the main street of Otautau.
He asked councilors many questions that were not answered Thursday.
I wanted to know if the building owners would have an exemption to obtain a building consent, if they would have to pay for building permits, if there would be enough engineers in the country and if the main streets of the cities of Southland would be kept at the same level . standards or ratings such as Queen St in Auckland.
The committee’s chairman, Paul Duffy, said the government required change and that the consultation was about hearing what the public needed.
It could be considered a construction consent waiver, Duffy said.
The council’s resource manager, Marcus Roy, said Gutsell raised good points and the committee would consider them when making decisions.
Cr Christine Menzies wanted to be reassured that Gutsell’s questions would be answered in the coming weeks.
Others also spoke in the public forum of the committee meeting Thursday.
Teachers and students at Winton Kindergarten said they felt a disconnect from the city’s history, as many buildings were vacant and without maintenance.
Wyndham man Lindsay Eunson said making Balaclava St a priority road was unnecessary.
The street was wide and he believed that if buildings collapsed in an earthquake, people could take other roads.
The committee adopted the public submissions and will decide the priority areas in February.
