Plans to relocate the city’s Royal New Zealand Navy reserve unit (HMNZS Toroa) in St Andrews St, New Zealand Army reserve units based in the 109-year-old Kensington Army Hall in Bridgman St, and the NZDF careers office were announced last year after HMNZS Toroa and the hall were identified as earthquake-prone.
Work began this week on a multimillion-dollar project to refurbish the former Farmlands building at 84 Cumberland St into a new NZDF regional facility for the 150-plus Otago-based permanent
and reserve NZDF personnel in the city.
A NZDF spokesperson said new offices, training areas, kitchen and dining facilities, military vehicle storage, historical storage and display, and a parade area would be included in the refurbishment.
The cost of the project was commercially sensitive information, they said.
The building would provide office space for small number of recruiting staff and fulltime NZDF personnel.
"It will also be used when required by Reserve Force personnel from [Dunedin’s reserve unit] HMNZS Toroa and the New Zealand Army’s 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment," the spokesperson said.
Staff were expected to move in late next year.
Decisions around the two historic buildings being vacated were still being made, the spokesperson said.
Last year, NZDF said the buildings would be "disposed of in accordance with the Public Works Act".
