For five long winters, a small but determined group has gathered outside the boarded-up shell of the former Carrington Hospital in Auckland's Mt Albert. Armed with placards reading 'Stop the rot' and 'Fix the bloody roof', they are not just protesting. They are offering to pay for the repairs themselves.
The Category 1 heritage building, built in 1865 as the Whau Lunatic Asylum, served psychiatric patients for over 120 years before becoming part of the Unitec campus until 2021. Now, it sits empty and decaying. Windows are smashed, graffiti covers the facade, and entire rows of roof tiles are missing, exposing the interior to the elements.
Chris Casey, a trustee of The Cachet Foundation, a charity supporting artists and heritage protection, told RNZ the group is ready to fundraise to weatherproof the building. 'If it's a case of money, well then speak to the community. We're good fundraisers, we know where we can get money from,' Casey said.
Who Owns the Building and Why Is It Decaying?
The Crown acquired the 40-hectare site in 2018 as part of Treaty of Waitangi redress, with plans to build 4000 homes in coming decades. Responsibility for the main building shifted from the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (now part of MCERT) to Marutūāhu Rōpū and their partner Ockham Residential in October.
An MCERT spokesperson said the ministry did reactive maintenance like boarding up broken windows and employed 24/7 security, but the building remained a 'constant target for theft, vandalism, and other criminal activity'. The developer has since received funding to improve security boarding.
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga recommended heritage covenants for four buildings on the site, but only one, the Pumphouse, has one. Penman House was demolished last year.
Can the Community Save a Heritage Icon?
Allan Matson, president of the Civic Trust Auckland, argues the cost should not fall on the community when developers will profit from the adjacent housing project. 'They've got a job to do to look after it in the meantime. Clearly the job's not being done and the asset is degrading,' Matson said.
Auckland Council has issued two bylaw notices demanding the developers secure entry points. Compliance manager Adrian Wilson said they have 'gone to considerable lengths' but noted that determined vandals using ladders to access roof holes is criminal behaviour beyond what the council can prevent.
Marutūāhu director Paul Majurey and Ockham chief executive William Deihl have not commented. Heritage New Zealand says it has raised the possibility of a heritage covenant with the iwi developers, who 'expressed openness to the idea', but has no power to require it.
What Happens Next?
Casey's group continues its weekly protests. 'Our main thing at the moment is we're really wanting to stand up and protect Carrington heritage from degrading, and what would formerly be called demo by neglect,' he said.
The second council compliance deadline is 10 August. Whether the roof gets fixed may depend on whether the community's offer to fundraise is taken seriously, or whether the building continues to rot while fingers are pointed.
'We hold our little placards that say 'Stop the rot', and 'Fix the bloody roof' and 'Shame this' and 'Shame that'.' — Chris Casey, The Cachet Foundation
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Carrington Hospital building so important?
It is a Category 1 heritage building, the highest classification, reflecting its historical significance as one of New Zealand's oldest psychiatric hospitals and later a tertiary education site.
Who is responsible for maintaining it now?
Marutūāhu Rōpū and Ockham Residential, as part of a development partnership, took over responsibility in October. Auckland Council enforces maintenance bylaws.
Can the community really fundraise to fix the roof?
Chris Casey's group believes so, arguing the cost to weatherproof the building is not huge. However, the developer and iwi have not responded to the offer.
Photo: RNZ