HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE

10 MARCH 2017

Queensgate Mall update #4

Removal of the northeastern corner of the Queensgate Shopping Centre, Lower Hutt is complete.

The section of Waterloo Road closed during demolition work on this corner is now open to traffic. Bloomfield Terrace will open next week.

Hutt City Council issued a warrant under section 129 of the Building Act to the shopping centre’s owners Stride Investment Management Limited requiring the corner to be removed after engineering investigation showed it was affected by last November’s 7.8 earthquake.

Work to remove this corner, including a section of car park and Event Cinemas Queensgate, began on 5 December 2016.

A cordon was established to allow demolition work to begin. This cordon affected neighbouring businesses and some stores inside the shopping centre. The affected corner was structurally separate to the rest of the shopping centre and because of this, stores inside the centre but outside the cordon were allowed to open in late November.

Hutt City Council Environmental Consents Manager Helen Oram acknowledges all those affected by the demolition.

“This work was essential for safety and we have appreciated everyone’s understanding during the past few months.

“I want to acknowledge the businesses directly affected for their cooperation: New World Hutt City, The Angus Inn hotel, the owners and retailers of Queensgate and also those residents and businesses nearby.

“Thanks also to the contractors Naylor Love. Despite slight delays because of the weather the demolition work has gone to plan and they’ve done an exceptional job in controlling the site.”

Now that the affected corner has been removed, the centre’s owners will contract the clearing of demolition debris and create new access points at the northeastern end. This is likely to take at least a month to complete.

Stores in the shopping centre that have been closed during demolition will remain closed until new access points are created because they must comply with fire safety regulations that require adequate exits.

ENDS

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