Stop the demolition of Mt Lees Homestead by MDC!
The issue
PLEASE DO NOT DONATE. WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES OF SUPPORT, AND SPREADING OF AWARENESS
Signing is completely free. After you sign, Change.org may ask you to contribute money. This is optional and the money does not come to our campaign. Simply select “No, I’ll share instead” or close the page. Your signature will still be recorded. Thank you for your support!
Manawatū District Council is considering demolishing the Mt Lees Homestead at 199 Ngaio Road and replacing it with lawn, specimen planting and pathways.
The homestead was built by Ormond Wilson, a farmer, author, conservationist, former Member of Parliament and chairman of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. He devoted much of his life to transforming Mt Lees into the remarkable gardens and reserve enjoyed by the public today. In the early 1970s, he gifted the homestead, gardens and surrounding bush to the Crown for public benefit.
The homestead is not separate from this legacy. It is an essential part of the history, character and complete landscape of Mt Lees.
Council says the ageing building requires significant work, including deferred maintenance, compliance upgrades and management of asbestos-related risks. It has investigated several possible uses but believes none has yet demonstrated sufficient demand or a sustainable operating model.
We recognise these challenges and the need to use ratepayer money responsibly. However, demolition is permanent. Before this important building is lost, the community deserves a genuine opportunity to examine the evidence and develop practical alternatives.
We are asking Manawatū District Council to:
Pause any decision or work relating to demolition.
Commission an independent heritage assessment.
Publish the relevant building reports and comparative costs of demolition, stabilisation and repair.
Consult meaningfully with the community and the Wilson family.
Invite community groups, schools, heritage organisations and potential operators to submit viable proposals for the building.
Properly consider options such as stabilisation, staged restoration, community trust management, leasing and adaptive reuse.
The homestead could be restored as a home for a caretaker to maintain the gardens, it could also support community activities, perhaps be a site for cafeteria, visitor facilities or a combination of uses. We are not asking Council to commit immediately to a costly full restoration. We are asking it to preserve the opportunity to find a sustainable future for the building.
Once the Mt Lees Homestead is gone, it cannot be recovered. Please sign this petition and help ensure every reasonable alternative is explored before an irreversible decision is made.
Please follow and share our social accounts and join the conversation!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsofmtlees/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/friendsofmtlees
If you have any questions or suggestions reach out to us at:
friendsofmtlees@gmail.com
1,541
The issue
PLEASE DO NOT DONATE. WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR SIGNATURES OF SUPPORT, AND SPREADING OF AWARENESS
Signing is completely free. After you sign, Change.org may ask you to contribute money. This is optional and the money does not come to our campaign. Simply select “No, I’ll share instead” or close the page. Your signature will still be recorded. Thank you for your support!
Manawatū District Council is considering demolishing the Mt Lees Homestead at 199 Ngaio Road and replacing it with lawn, specimen planting and pathways.
The homestead was built by Ormond Wilson, a farmer, author, conservationist, former Member of Parliament and chairman of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. He devoted much of his life to transforming Mt Lees into the remarkable gardens and reserve enjoyed by the public today. In the early 1970s, he gifted the homestead, gardens and surrounding bush to the Crown for public benefit.
The homestead is not separate from this legacy. It is an essential part of the history, character and complete landscape of Mt Lees.
Council says the ageing building requires significant work, including deferred maintenance, compliance upgrades and management of asbestos-related risks. It has investigated several possible uses but believes none has yet demonstrated sufficient demand or a sustainable operating model.
We recognise these challenges and the need to use ratepayer money responsibly. However, demolition is permanent. Before this important building is lost, the community deserves a genuine opportunity to examine the evidence and develop practical alternatives.
We are asking Manawatū District Council to:
Pause any decision or work relating to demolition.
Commission an independent heritage assessment.
Publish the relevant building reports and comparative costs of demolition, stabilisation and repair.
Consult meaningfully with the community and the Wilson family.
Invite community groups, schools, heritage organisations and potential operators to submit viable proposals for the building.
Properly consider options such as stabilisation, staged restoration, community trust management, leasing and adaptive reuse.
The homestead could be restored as a home for a caretaker to maintain the gardens, it could also support community activities, perhaps be a site for cafeteria, visitor facilities or a combination of uses. We are not asking Council to commit immediately to a costly full restoration. We are asking it to preserve the opportunity to find a sustainable future for the building.
Once the Mt Lees Homestead is gone, it cannot be recovered. Please sign this petition and help ensure every reasonable alternative is explored before an irreversible decision is made.
Please follow and share our social accounts and join the conversation!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsofmtlees/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/friendsofmtlees
If you have any questions or suggestions reach out to us at:
friendsofmtlees@gmail.com
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Petition created on 11 September 2026