One of the earliest surviving residences in Oamaru is being considered as a Heritage New Zealand (HNZ) category two historic place.
The HNZ report on Dalgety, Rattray and Company Manager’s Cottage, now the home of art collective Pottery-on-Tyne, stated the timber cottage was built only two years after Oamaru was surveyed as a town.
Built about 1861, the Tyne St structure is just outside Oamaru’s 1860s business district and overlooks the harbour.
Waitaki District councillor Peter Garvan was responsible for the application.
He believed the building was worthy of preservation.
Pottery-On-Tyne president Jill McIntyre said she thought the idea of the building being recognised as potentially worthy of protection by HNZ was "wonderful".
"We think having a listing as a historic place will possibly bring more people up this way. We’re just outside of the historic area."
HNZ spokesman Jonathan Howard said entry on to the list recognised a place had significant heritage value, but did not provide statutory protection for the building or impose any regulation on an owner.
Nor does entry on the list prevent additions, alterations, wider townscape improvements, partial or complete demolition or introduce requirements for repair.
Regulation, or protection, would only come through the Resource Management Act 1991 if the council approved the building being scheduled as a heritage building on the Waitaki District Plan when it was next reviewed, he said.
Submissions on the HNZ proposal close at 4pm on July 28, 2017.
