Treasury opposed return to old courts

The $20 million restoration of Dunedin's 115-year-old courthouse may be running on time and on budget but released documents reveal the Treasury was against returning services to the heritage-listed building.

A Cabinet paper from December 2015, released under the Official Information Act, show the Treasury did not support earthquake-strengthening the lower Stuart St courthouse (opened in 1902). Instead, it believed court services should be retained at the ''fit for purpose'' facilities in High St and John Wickliffe House.

''The preferred option offers no real benefits to the operation of courts in Dunedin,'' Treasury said.

''It would move court functions out of modern accommodation and into a space 'not configured to optimum modern functionality, look and feel'. This would have a negative impact on the court user.''

Treasury said the $7.5million investment in High St and John Wickliffe House had made those buildings fit for purpose and ''now they meet the needs of the Ministry of Justice, with only a modest investment [$0.5million] being required to improve layout and security''.

Of the plan to strengthen the Stuart St building and return services there, Treasury noted: ''This business case would primarily be a significant investment in a heritage building, which is outside the core business of the Ministry of Justice.''

The briefing paper was among a tranche of documents released by Minister of Justice Amy Adams.

Also included was an ''aide memoire'' which revealed the ministry investigated toppling the building's tower to improve its health and safety risk to the public ''and reduce the cost of the upgrade''.

The cost saving by removing the tower was redacted.

''These cost savings are not significant and would be reduced by the cost of an expensive resource consent process,'' the memorandum said.

''There is potential for significant opposition from the Dunedin City Council, Heritage New Zealand and the public.''

Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens, a vocal advocate for the retention of the historic courthouse, said she was pleased the final decision was not left to the Treasury and the tower was retained.

''This thinking is so removed from my own it's like that Flat Earth society,'' she said.

''When you are so fortunate to have the most beautiful courthouse in your town, it's a given you have to treasure it.''

The return of court services to Stuart St was not a financial matter, she said.

''I can do a budget like anybody else, but there's some things you don't do by dollars and cents and this is one of them.''

The documents also revealed services are expected to resume in the courthouse from early January 2018.

''Construction is expected to be concluded in November 2017 and employees and the judiciary will begin to be relocated to the courthouse in December,'' a document said.

Ministry of Justice commercial and property general manager Fraser Gibbs, yesterday, said, ''We're happy with the progress of the project so far, which is running on time and on budget.''

Mrs Stevens said the return to the Stuart St building was ''something very much looked forward to'' by the legal fraternity.

''It can't come soon enough, is the universal cry,'' she said. ''People keep saying to me it's going to be so good to be back in the courthouse.

''There's no pleasure in going down to the other courthouse [in High St].''

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz