Unsightly Containers Will Have To Stay On Dee St For Now

The Invercargill City Council has determined that the old Briscoes (Pall Mall) building is classed as dangerous, due to the fire on September 2023.

Group manager consenting and environment Jonathan Shaw said a structural engineer has specified the use of containers to mitigate danger from overhead hazards presented by the building in its current state.

“The engineer has also specified that the containers be in their current location as opposed to under the veranda where he considers the risk to be too high for shipping containers to mitigate the risk effectively.”

The council’s regulatory powers were limited to reducing any immediate hazards and risks, but has been working with the owner on a long-term outcome.

“The owner has been very co-operative and is aware that there are Resource Management Act matters that need to be worked through as well as Building Act matters.”

The Invercargill Licensing Trust spoke out last week after becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of action by council regarding the unsightly containers.

Chief executive Chris Ramsay said, when contacted, that despite questions being asked of council repeatedly over the past year, there were still no clear answers about why they were still there.

“The containers are unsightly, unsafe and a blight on a CBD that has had hundreds of millions spent on it to make it more appealing for locals and visitors alike.” He questioned whether they were necessary.

Invercargill City Mayor Nobby Clark said he understood the frustration of the ILT and other retailers in that area of Dee Street, and agreed they discouraged foot traffic through that intersection.

He was currently seeking the cost of an upgraded container system to put in its place, and was talking with councillors to gauge their support.