A long-awaited decision has been reached on the Dargaville Town Hall, with elected members voting at the 10 December council meeting to demolish the annex building as well as the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall. The decision ends years of uncertainty about the future of the two buildings and opens the door for planning a new community asset for Dargaville.

At the same council meeting elected members also agreed to proceed with reinstatement of the Heritage Listed 1920s Municipal Chambers.

The decision follows the project having reached a critical juncture earlier this year, when the previous council directed at its July meeting to halt works and re-scope the project in line with stakeholder expectations and wider community consultation.

The original project plan involved demolishing the annex and recladding both the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall and Municipal Chambers buildings. However, a recent building condition assessment found that significant remediation would be required to bring the Hall up to code. The annex was also found to have further deteriorated, impacting the connected buildings and posing compliance and health risks.

Kaipara District Council Mayor Jonathan Larsen says the decision is a significant turning point for the new council.

“The most recent condition report made it clear that we needed to act with a sense of urgency. Patch-ups could have ultimately been more costly for ratepayers than proceeding with a demolition and rebuild. This approach provides greater control over project costs and means we can do it once and do it right,” says Mayor Larsen.

“We want to take the community forward with us as we work through the next steps. This asset is for the community and it needs to be fit for purpose.”

Demolition is planned for mid-2026.

© Scoop Media