Bluestone from wall to be recycled

Bluestone from the collapsed wall between Dowling and Rattray Sts will be sold as salvage. Photo...
Bluestone from the collapsed wall between Dowling and Rattray Sts will be sold as salvage. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Bluestone blocks from a historic Dunedin wall due to be demolished and replaced will be sold as salvage by an insurance company.

Steve Woodrow, from insurance assessor GAB Robins, said this week demolition work had begun on the 150-year-old wall running parallel to Rattray and Dowling Sts, in Dunedin.

About half of the wall collapsed, burying three cars, during a deluge last August.

The wall belongs to Bruce Fairhurst, the owner of the property above it.

With agreement from the Historic Places Trust, Mr Fairhurst's insurance company would demolish the 30m-long by 14m-high wall and replace it with a solid retaining wall which would meet safety regulations, Mr Woodrow said.

The salvaged bluestone would be sold by the insurance company.

Historic Places Trust regional archaeologist Matt Schmidt said the wall was an archaeological site of interest.

Although the trust had originally requested the bluestone be reinstated in any reconstructed wall, after several meetings with GAB Robins, staff were happy with the decision to demolish and replace the wall.

"They're doing the best they can, really.''

Because of the substantial wall required to replace the old one, restoring the bluestone cosmetically would mean the wall would encroach on the neighbouring property and would be "exceptionally'' expensive.

"Because it is not really a wall that can be seen, we are happy with the procedures they have decided on,'' Mr Schmidt said.

The trust was confident an appropriate home would be found for the salvaged stone.

"It is absolutely beautiful stone.

"They [the insurance company] will sell it to someone who will recycle it for another building or structure and, really, that's what we like to see.''

The demolition and construction of the wall is expected to take several months.

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