Inside the Tawa Station building

As indicated previously - see "The future of Tawa Railway Station" - the Tawa Railway Station building is apparently in such a state of disrepair, including leaning on rotten pilings, that drastic action is required.

On Wednesday 2 May a number of Tawa Community Board members along with a handful of other community members were allowed access to the station building. As it has officially been closed for around 20 years, this is the first time that many of those present had been inside. Officers from the Greater Wellington Regional Council, current owners of the station, supervised the occasion.

As evidenced in these shots, the building is suffering from a lack of maintenance over the years which has resulted in leaks and structural and piling issues. Some parts of the building are in acceptable condition, others far from it. Bruce Murray, chair of the Tawa Historical Society is quoted as saying: "The neglect in the past 20 or 30 years is a disgrace ... It says it all when the signalling equipment inside [photos 3 & 4] is protected by a canvas tent."

The Tawa Community Board is endeavouring to gauge the views of the community on the future of the station, thus the public meeting in early May.