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Shelly Bay Campaigners Call For Urgent Investigation Into The Fire That Destroyed Historic Sawtooth Building
Shelly Bay campaigners are calling for the police and fire and emergency to launch an immediate investigation into the cause of the fire that destroyed the historic Sawtooth Building in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Spokesperson Mary Varnham said the site should be treated as a possible crime scene. “This looks like arson. A large strong building like this does not catch fire on its own.”
Varnham said her group, Buy Back the Bay, had been fighting to have the building saved and restored, as required by the Wellington Company’s resource consent.
“In recent weeks we have been challenging the Council over its decision to demolish the building. “We have been talking to lawyers about legal action to stop the demolition," she said. “We are devastated that the building has now been lost.”
Under the fast-track resource consent granted to developers The Wellington Company, the Sawtooth Building was to have been restored and refurbished and eventually handed back to the city.
‘Shelly Bay is now a horror show. The people of Wellington need answers.”
Varnham said the building contained asbestos. Firefighters at the scene had told her the site would have to be closed for some time until the asbestos was removed. “This could mean the permanent closure of the iconic Chocolate Fish Café across the road,’ Varnham said. “This is a tragedy.”
The majority of Shelly Bay was purchased in 2009 by Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust, the commercial arm of Taranaki Whānui, as part of its treaty settlement. In 2017 PNBST onsold its land to The Wellington Company against the wishes of a majority of its members. This is now the subject of a case in the Māori Land Court.
3.5 hectares remained in council ownership and were controversially sold to The Wellington Company under a long-term lease, after several councillors who had pledged to retain the land changed their position. It is this land that the Sawtooth Building stood on. It is understood the company has not yet paid the council for the land so the Sawtooth Building is still council property.
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