Cracked chimney: Woolworths told to take action

The Dunedin Gasworks Museum chimney stack is right beside the Dunedin South Woolworths supermarket in Andersons Bay Rd. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

Woolworths has been required to take action to address the risk a cracked chimney at the old Dunedin Gasworks could collapse on to its supermarket.

The Dunedin City Council announced late this afternoon the Dunedin Gasworks Museum would be cordoned off while options for its chimney stack were considered, but neighbouring businesses would be able to continue trading.

In a statement it said an "Affected Building Notice" had been issued on the neighbouring Dunedin South Woolworths in Andersons Bay Rd, due to the threat posed to "one small corner" of the supermarket.

Anna Nilsen, the council's Group Manager Property Services, said while cracks in the upper part of the chimney remain of concern, an engineer’s report has found its lower sections had not significantly changed in recent times.

“This means that should the chimney fall, it would likely be limited to its upper section, reducing the size of the area around the chimney that would be affected.

“Based on this, our building services staff are confident surrounding businesses can remain open with only limited temporary arrangements in place.”

An image taken during the drone inspection of the chimney stack shows significant cracks. PHOTO: DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL

Based on the engineer’s report, the council had also today issued a dangerous building notice to the gasworks site, meaning public access would be prohibited until issues with the chimney were resolved.

The Affected Building Notice issued to the supermarket required it to take steps to mitigate any potential risks from a collapse in one small corner of their building.

“We’re working with all affected parties and endeavouring to keep everyone informed as we respond to this situation, and public safety remains our top priority,” Ms Nilsen said.

A Woolworths spokesman said the council requested the business protect their roof within a specified area.

"We’re responding to this as quickly as possible and expect this work to be completed on Saturday at the latest.

"In the meantime, we have restricted access to the affected corner of our store."

The Gasworks Museum was expected to remain closed over the Easter holiday weekend, but may be able to reopen next week with restricted access to parts of the facility.

“The gasworks site is an incredibly important and well used community gathering space for a wide range of groups, and we’re working hard to allow them to continue to provide this valuable service as soon as possible.”

The site was a Category 1 historic place owned by the council and operated by the Dunedin Gasworks Museum Trust.

“The issue is not just with a large crack in the structure which appears to be pre-date last month’s earthquake. Comparing drone footage taken in 2024 to the most recent footage, we can see evidence of new cracks and movement within the structure, as well as a further deterioration of the large crack," Ms Nilsen said.

“Based on the expert advice we’ve now received, we’re taking precautionary steps to ensure public safety while these issues are addressed.”

- APL