The Karori Event Centre, a long-anticipated community facility built on Wellington City Council (WCC) land, is facing an uncertain future as the Council considers demolishing the partially completed structure. This move has sparked outrage among community members, who see the decision as part of a wider trend of WCC dismantling key civic assets.

A Project Years in the Making

The Karori Event Centre has been a project in the works for well over a decade. Initially spearheaded by the Karori Community Hall Trust, the facility was envisioned as a vital hub for the suburb, providing a space for events, performances, and community gatherings.

The Trust, backed by passionate local fundraising efforts, managed to secure around $2.8 million in funding through grants and donations. WCC contributed $920,000 towards the project, and by early 2018, the main structure of the Event Centre was completed. The building was then gifted to the Council in December 2022, with an additional $1.9 million committed by WCC to fund its fit-out and completion.

However, despite this investment and years of work, the Event Centre remains incomplete. The Trust had expected the Council to follow through on its funding promise, but financial pressures and shifting priorities have led to uncertainty. Now, WCC is reportedly weighing up whether to scrap the project altogether, citing cost concerns.

Council Considers Demolition

In a move that has blindsided the Trust and local residents, WCC has floated the idea of demolishing the Karori Event Centre rather than finishing it. This comes despite the Council’s previous commitment to provide the necessary funding to see the project through to completion.

The decision has been met with frustration and disbelief from community members who have spent years fundraising and advocating for the centre. Many see it as yet another example of WCC failing to prioritise community assets, with comparisons being drawn to other recent demolition proposals.

A petition launched in December 2023 urged WCC to retain the $1.9 million in funding to complete the Event Centre, highlighting that the facility was designed to serve as a much-needed venue for cultural, educational, and social activities in Wellington’s largest suburb.

A Pattern of Demolitions?

The Karori Event Centre saga is just the latest in a string of controversial WCC demolition plans. The Council has already come under fire for its decision to demolish the iconic City to Sea Bridge, citing seismic risks and the cost of strengthening as barriers to its retention. Following public backlash and legal threats, that demolition was put on hold—at least for now.

Similarly, the historic Begonia House in the Wellington Botanic Garden was on the chopping block as part of cost-cutting measures, though strong public support and fundraising efforts saw the Council backtrack on outright demolition in favour of potential renovation.

Then there’s the case of the Civic Square buildings, including the Town Hall and the Central Library, where WCC has been accused of unnecessarily rushing toward demolition rather than exploring viable strengthening options.

These cases have led to growing concerns that WCC is failing to maintain and invest in vital public infrastructure, choosing to tear down key assets rather than preserve them for future generations.

Community Outrage and Uncertainty

With the fate of the Karori Event Centre now hanging in the balance, the Karori Community Hall Trust and local residents are determined to fight for the facility’s survival. They argue that scrapping the project would be an unforgivable waste of both public and privately raised funds, not to mention the years of community effort that have gone into getting the Event Centre to this stage.

“This is not just about one building,” a spokesperson for the Trust said. “This is about whether WCC values the communities it serves. We have been let down repeatedly, and it’s time the Council lived up to its commitments.”

Despite the uncertainty, the Trust and locals are holding the line, hoping public pressure forces WCC to backtrack. Whether the Council fronts up and funds the finish or simply adds this to its growing demolition tally is anyone’s guess.