“I’m still standing…” the Elton John hit sings volumes about our beloved Cambridge Water Tower and long may it continue.
Peter Fulton
You may be curious about its fate, resting as it does, in the hands of Waipā District Council. The council has two paths they are pursuing with the tower – one being demolition, the other strengthening and refurbishment. Be assured that the final decision has not yet been made, so you may ask; “what has been happening in the meantime?”
So far, the tower has been internally cleaned and sterilised, the pigeons and the disgusting mess they made have been removed and the ‘gun slits’ reinstated with new wire mesh. The rusting ironwork of stairs and balustrading on the outside of the tower has been removed; this is important for public safety. The brickwork has been tested to understand its strength, as has the soil and foundations. Also, very thorough seismic assessments have been completed and peer reviewed to inform work going forwards.
What happens next? Soon there will be tests for new screw micro-piles to the base. Then the proposal includes lining the tower with a resin and reinforced concrete tube bonded to the inside and joined to the tank and the base. It’s all very technical but it is hoped costs will come in around $2 million.
Members of the newly-formed Save the Cambridge Water Tower. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Why is council doing this now? It is is obliged to protect and enhance our natural and built heritage, but unfortunately, while much investigation has gone on in the past it has taken until recently for the council to explore affordable options. Resthaven is very close by and consent has already been given for new buildings on that site. It is well within the ‘fall zone’ should an earthquake of sufficient magnitude happen and we cannot endanger our citizens in this way. It was fine when the tower stood on its own in the middle of a sheep paddock but that’s no longer the case.
So, demolish or retain? Some would argue that either are no more than ‘vanity projects’ given the current economic state; just leave it be. But time and responsibility have robbed us of this option and a decision followed by action must follow. In other parts of the world, the notion of demolishing heritage structures is unthinkable, just consider the reconstruction of Europe since World War 2. But here in Godzone we are too hasty in tearing down our built heritage.
Once it’s gone, there’s no bringing it back and to succumb to a short term economic downturn when there are signs of a coming recovery would be short-sighted. There are good reasons to keep the tower, not the least being that it is a registered heritage structure that will afford protection against any hasty decision to demolish, and ideas are being floated for its future ‘adaptive re-use’ to give it new life and purpose, together with external fundraising options to assist with the cost.
Save the Cambridge Water Tower group founders, from left, Dave Linthwaite, Elizabeth Harvey, Peter Fulton, David Griffin, James Casey, Mike Kilgour. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
