Kaiapoi Historic Railway Station Building Relocation

Council is supporting the Kaiapoi Railway Station Trust and a local developer who are working together to permanently locate the Kaiapoi Historic Railway Building alongside the Kaiapoi River.

Background

The building is currently owned by the Kaiapoi Railway Station Trust and sits on Council recreation reserve land known as Morgan Williams Reserve.

The building was relocated temporarily from its previous wharf-side location in 2013 after the old site was damaged and the building was unoccupied. This proposed relocation will be the third time the building has been relocated since it was moved from the original railway station site.

The Kaiapoi Railway Station Trust has been approached by a developer who wishes to purchase the building.

The building is currently tenanted to a café business, Paris for the Weekend.

What’s being proposed and why?

This proposal would involve raising the building and moving it a small distance closer to the stopbank. There would also be additional seating provided on a wraparound deck, a ramp and reconfiguration of the car park.

The proposal would also tidy up the pathway connecting Charles Street to the toilets and then on the Morgan Williams Reserve.

The plan would formalise the temporary arrangement in place, providing the developer with a lease to occupy on Morgan Williams Reserve and a licence to only operate café facilities in the Kaiapoi Railway Station Building. This provides recreational amenity and benefits to the wider community and complies with the requirements of the Reserve Act.

The proposal aligns with the objectives of the current Kaiapoi Town Centre Plan and provides key pedestrian linkage to Riverbanks walkway.

In summary, we’re asking the public for their feedback on making the current arrangements, which have been in place for a number of years, permanent with the new owner of the building.

Have your say

Please let us know what you think about the proposal by Thursday 6 April 2023. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Next steps

Once consultation has ended and public feedback has been received, the Council may choose to undertake a formal hearings process. We will be back in touch if this happens.

Staff will present a report and recommendations to the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board who will make a decision on how to proceed.