Ian IConIC

After six months of trying we finally achieved a meeting with Minister Brownlee this afternoon. The meeting ran from about 2.35 until nearly 4.00pm, although it was originally anticipated that it would end at 3.15pm. In terms of time we received a good hearing, although the Minister remains committed to a minimal intervention approach and is totally unwilling to encroach on individual property rights. There seems to be almost no interest in the public good dimension around heritage that justifies, on the one hand, public assistance for those who seek to retain heritage, and a measure of control on the demolition of heritage on the other, even in a post disaster situation.

He did state, at one point, that it was his personal view that the Provincial Buildings should be restored, but he is clearly unwilling to make a public statement to that effect, even though he is prepared to make strong statements about building owners and insurers whose wrangles are delaying progress on demolitions.

Although we were undable to cover the full range of issues we would have liked to discuss, we have left a list of those issues with the Minister and we hope that his officials will address at least some of these items in the coming days and weeks. I think it is fair to say that the meeting was as productive as we could have reasonable hoped for, and more useful than some of us anticipated.

The fact that we had the meeting at all was due to the persistence of our co-chair, Brendon Burns, and we certainly appreciate his efforts to achieve this milestone for IConIC. Brendon, however, took the occassion of this afternoon's meeting to indicate that the time has arrived for him to step down from his chairing role. I think everyone involved with IConIC will want me to thank Brendon for his efforts both on behalf of heritage in Chirstchurch but also to recognise his efforts to save as much of our built environment as possible over the last seven months. Irrespective of our individual political alliegences, I'm sure we all wish Brendon well as he seeks a further term as Christchurch Central MP. We hope he will continue to attend IConIC meetings as time allows.

There will be an opportunity to discuss today's meeeting next Monday, when we should also be thinking about our response to the CERA recovery strategy. Please consider this message as being your reminder for that meeting. I'm off to Oamaru for a couple of days to look at heritage buildings with my Honours students. I think this is what is known as a bus-man's holiday.

Cheers

Ian
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IConIC
Interests in Conserving the Identity of Christchurch

Thank you also to all those who attended the meeting today for their contributions towards putting our case to the minister.