June 09, 2022
Wellington Council to return land to Tenths
Wellington Council has agreed to give up a perpetual lease on Māori reserved land under a Berhampore apartment block.
The council will demolish the Granville Flats and hand back the land to the Wellington Tenths Trust by May 2024.
Mayor Andy Foster says if council retained the building, which it built in the 1960s, it would be up for considerable investment including seismic strengthening.
Wellington Tenths Trust chair Anaru Smiler says the land is part of the original tenths land blocks dating back to the 1839 deed of purchase with the New Zealand Company.
Anaru Smiler – Photo courtesy of the Wellington Tenths Trust
He says having full control of the whenua means the trust can provide better opportunities for its people.
All tenants will be rehoused in alternative Council homes by December 2023, with the Council covering tenants’ moving costs.