Vandals have broken into a category-one historic building in Wellington and damaged statues important to the Christian faith.
It's the latest in an ongoing battle with vandalism at Erskine College, and has many calling for a proposed new development at the site to be pushed through.
Hidden away on the hills of Island Bay, Erskine College is a sitting duck for vandals. Last night they smashed through a plaster wall and set about wreaking havoc, breaking up the marble altar and desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ.
On Saturday motion sensor video cameras were installed in case the culprits return to do more damage.
"We have a builder there every day fixing up the holes, but they must be treating it like a war," says developer Ian Cassels.
The 1930 French Gothic chapel was a popular Wellington wedding venue until it was red stickered in 2012.
It's a beautiful chapel, but there's rubbish all over the ground, broken glass cracking under foot, graffiti on the walls and some of the pews are broken - all reasons why developer Mr Cassels says his proposed $30 million housing development will give the chapel a new lease on life.
"A heritage building that is so-called being saved by someone putting a sticker on it is no more than a zombie. It's got nowhere to go," says Mr Cassels.
It's proposed the former Catholic girls school building will be torn down to make way for 96 townhouses. There'll be a new garden and also an early childhood centre.
Seven-million dollars will be spent restoring the chapel and refurbishing the wedding function centre, bringing it up to 67 percent of the national building standard.
Resource consent has been approved, but just one hurdle remains - getting sign-off from a trust set up to protect the site.
"People who have the power of veto, like Heritage NZ, have said, 'No, we want to see and sign that plan off too,' [and] that could delay things," says Wellington Deputy Mayor and Island Bay resident Paul Eagle.
The development could begin as early as March.
Newshub.
