$200,000 spent on Arrowtown consent

After four years of wrangling over Arrowtown's Emporium building and, with costs of $6434 awarded in his favour last week, developer Gary Mullings, whose family trust owns the building and spent more than $200,000 on the redevelopment consent process, says it is time his side of the story was told in full.

• 'The heritage fabric is gone' says Swaine

Huge costs, both financial and personal, had been a frustrating and relentless process for the Mullings Trust in its dealings with the Wakatipu Environmental Society Inc (Wesi), over the development of the building at 38 Buckingham St, known as The Emporium, Mr Mullings said.

It was his view that facts had been distorted concerning the redevelopment of the site.

It had always been the trust's intention to dismantle the building, something he said Wesi spokeswoman Karen Swaine was not only aware of, but insisted to the contrary.

"They wanted a test case, and lost."

The society lacked an understanding of the process, he maintained.

"Throughout the mediation with Wesi, it was made very clear that The Emporium was to be dismantled and a new building was to be constructed incorporating heritage fabric where possible.

"This process was to be undertaken in consultation with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the council."

Wesi was well aware of the situation and provided approval through the mediation process, and their conservation architect through the mediation acknowledged the existing building could not be saved in its previous form, he added.

"The only option was to dismantle the existing building due to its condition."

He said there was absolutely no possibility the building could be saved in its entirety.

No Wesi representatives undertook a detailed structural assessment of the former building, so they could not provide an informed opinion on its condition, he said.

Meanwhile, the Mullings Trust had spent more than $60,000 on architectural and engineering assessments.

"These assessments confirmed that the former building was in a highly dilapidated state, and that the building could not be saved through the proposed redevelop-ment and still meet the Building Act 2004 requirements."

The council accepted the assessments, as did the statutory body charged with dealing with heritage matters, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, he explained.