There was a passionate call for Dunedin city councillors to do more to protect the city's heritage buildings during yesterday's annual plan hearing.
Leigh Morris, of Dunedin, told councillors he feared the city was gradually losing its heritage buildings, with the threat to a block of Princes St buildings just the latest example.
"One building at a time they disappear, like teeth falling out of an old person, until you are left with just the gums."
He said the controversy over Christchurch developer Luke Dirkzwager's plan threatened buildings constructed at the time "Dunedin became a proud city".
"It's very easy to say a building has a fault . . . or someone from Christchurch says 'I would like to put up a nice new apartment here'."
He also rejected the move towards preserving only the facades of heritage buildings.
"The facade is useless. It's just a facade."
Mr Morris said there were people in Dunedin prepared and passionate enough to restore old buildings, rather than knock them down for a "quick buck".
Oamaru's historic precinct provided an example of the benefits to a town that preserved its heritage, he said.
"Dunedin has a wonderful historical heart. We need to keep it."
Earlier, New Zealand Historic Places Trust Otago/Southland branch area manager Owen Graham said the council should consider preparing an annual summary showing ratepayers what it was doing to preserve the city's heritage.
However, Mr Graham's call for the council to continue to grow its funding for heritage projects prompted a retort.
Mr Graham's submission said it was pleasing the council planned to retain $40,000 in funding for heritage projects in 2010-11, and steadily increase that figure to $100,000 by 2019/20.
However, it was essential that figure continue to grow to ensure the effectiveness of the financial support was not eroded by inflation, he said.
That prompted Deputy Mayor Syd Brown to point out the council had an agreement to match NZHPT contributions to the city's heritage fund.
"To date [in the past year] we have not had to match any funds.
"There's an opportunity to grow that pot if you can come up with some money, which council would then have to match."
Mr Graham responded by pointing out the NZHPT national organisation had $500,000 to contribute to heritage projects in the last funding round, and $100,000 of that had been spent in Otago.
