Wellington City Council will soon start preparation work for the dismantling and demolition of the former City Housing Granville Flats buildings in Berhampore.

In June 2022, Council and Wellington Tenths Trust (Tenths) agreed to end the Council’s lease of the land where the three buildings are situated. With the land being returned to the Tenths Trust, an Ahu Whenua trust constituted by the Māori Land Court.

Granville Flats, located at 559 Adelaide Road, were built in the 1960s on land owned by the Wellington Tenths Trust. The Council has been leasing the land through a perpetual lease from the Trust, and currently owns the buildings.

The City Housing facility housed 144 tenants across 107 units. All tenants were provided with alternative accommodation.

Council will start enabling works from Monday 16 September until the end of March 2025, prior to the main dismantling and demolition works of the building. Enabling works includes the safe removal of any asbestos, and all built-in joinery, internal doors and floor coverings.

The land will be returned to the Tenths Trust on completion of the demolition and removal works, estimated to be towards the end of 2025.

About the Wellington Tenths Trust

The Wellington Tenths Trust is an Ahu Whenua trust constituted by the Māori Land Court. The Trust was established to administer its Māori Reserve lands, largely in urban Wellington, although it also administers a rural block in Kaitoke, Upper Hutt.

The Trust owns a total of 81 hectares of land. The beneficial owners of the reserves are descendants of hapu of Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, Taranaki, and Ngāti Ruanui tupuna who were living within the rohe in 1839. There are currently 7,112 registered beneficial owners and many other whānau through those beneficial owners.

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