News
Here we share stories that are recent or significant — keeping you up to date with what matters to the Greytown Heritage Trust, and what you might want to know, remember, or pass on.
David and Goliath: Woolworths Withdraws Main Street Access Plans
October 2024
Woolworths has withdrawn its appeal to the Environment Court over the Council’s decision to deny vehicle access from Main Street to the Fresh Choice site on the corner of West and Hastwell Streets.
This marks a major win for Greytown, following a drawn-out planning battle that Greytown Heritage Trust and others had been engaged in for over a decade.
The proposal would have effectively created a new road off Main Street — a move that raised widespread concern. Objections included safety risks, loss of visual amenity, a significant change to the streetscape, disruption of Greytown’s heritage character, and a threat to the copper beech tree that anchors the western end of the street.
Greytown Heritage Trust was a principal voice in the opposition. We were represented by legal counsel and supported by expert advice from a planning consultant, heritage architect, arborist, and acoustics specialist. Their insight and input were vital — and deeply appreciated.
The outcome is a powerful validation of sustained community effort and the importance of standing up for the qualities that make Greytown distinct.
Greytown Heritage Trust Annual General Meeting
SACRED HEART CHURCH, MAIN STREET
Thursday 8 May, 7pm
The guest speaker at this year’s AGM was Rob Stevens, whose nationally significant work in heritage preservation and renewal includes some of Wellington’s most iconic buildings, cultural institutions, and key elements of the post-earthquake rebuild in Christchurch. He walked us through a fascinating range of heritage projects from the past three decades, in which he has been a principal voice.
The meeting was held in the beautifully renewed Sacred Heart Church — a special opportunity to see this much-loved building restored and replenished.
South Wairarapa District Council Long-Term and Spatial Plan Review (2020–21)
The Greytown Heritage Trust made a detailed submission to SWDC’s 2020 Long-Term Plan and Spatial Plan Review, advocating for heritage-sensitive growth.
The Trust emphasised the importance of Greytown’s unique scale, streetscape, and sense of place—highlighting the historic layout, modest building forms, and distinctive Victorian architecture. Key positions included the need for design guidelines that reflect Greytown’s character, stronger signage and fencing controls, preservation of vegetation, and protection of streetscape elements. The Trust called for lower building heights, context-sensitive new construction, and more robust guidance on materials and colour. The submission also urged more formalised consultation with the Trust on developments affecting Main Street and the town’s heritage precinct.
Wairarapa Combined District Plan: 2022–2025 Consultation
Greytown Heritage Trust made a detailed written submission on the proposed Wairarapa Combined District Plan in December 2022, followed by oral presentations during the 2025 consultation hearings held in March and April.
Among the issues raised, the Trust strongly opposed a proposal to extend Greytown’s commercial zoning north of Jellicoe and Kuratawhiti Streets. We were not alone in challenging this change, which risks undermining the integrity and cohesion of the town’s historic centre.
We also strongly supported the introduction of an Active Street Frontage overlay along West Street, specifically the block west of the main town centre. We encouraged this to include connecting laneways, building on the existing network of pathways and driveways. These present exciting opportunities to create well-designed, human-scale spaces between buildings that invite movement, social connection, and visual interest.
Our submission argued that strategic westward expansion is a logical and heritage-sensitive approach to accommodating growth. We also asked that the Hearing Panel request a formal street frontage amenity assessment to guide future planning decisions. At the heart of our submission is the belief that planning should be proactive – shaping Greytown’s future while protecting its distinctive past.
Vale David Kernohan
1 March 1947 – 13 April 2025
In April, the Wairarapa lost a deeply respected champion of our history and built environment.
David Kernohan’s seminal book Wairarapa Buildings: Two Centuries of New Zealand Architecture is a touchstone for local historians and architecture enthusiasts. Celebrating the region in which he lived — on a vineyard in Gladstone until retiring to Carterton — Kernohan explored Wairarapa architecture with insight and passion.
He acknowledged that the book’s focus on European settlement meant it was a partial account. While recognising the profound importance of Wairarapa Māori settlement and history, he noted this was not the territory of his own expertise or writing.
Now sometimes hard to find, a copy of this book remains a treasured addition to many Wairarapa bookshelves.
Greytown Tales on Foot – a walking tour
Sunday 9 November 2025
