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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 23. September 12 1977

Bye Bye Graveyard... hullo Chapel!

Bye Bye Graveyard... hullo Chapel!

One of the last pieces of greenery on campus is destined to be replaced by a large ugly building. The 'Graveyard' (Cemetery) next to the Student Union Building is the proposed site for a University Chapel. Information divulged to Salient showed that planning is well advanced for the construction of a non-denominational facility to be completed somewhere around 1980.

Once again it would seem that students will be the victims of another shortsighted building monstrosity over which they will not be consulted. Ail enquiries from Salient have so far met with dead ends on a matter that could be of major importance to students, especially since many would strongly question the need for such a large building on campus. The present facilities would seem to be adequate for the demand. Number 36 Kelburn Parade, Ramsey House has long been used as a non-denominational place of worship, jointly housing the Catholic and Ecumenical Chaplains.

As far as Salient could ascertain the main backers of the scheme are a group of former students who felt that the campus lacked a "spirit of community".

For the above reason the building seems to have been designed in such a way as to allow small group, and personal religious worship to take place. The rough sketch drawings and site plan that were leaked to Salient show a three level complex of two smaller buildings (beside the path coming up from Mount Street) and a larger main chapel with a large stain-glass window that would face eastwards over-looking the harbour. The site itself is a choice one that enjoys all day sun with a fine view of the harbour. However, there are problems associated with the site. At present the Cemetery is consecrated Catholic land and thus the land would have to be deconsecrated before the graves could be removed to another site.

A more major problem is the position of the site itself. Most of the land around the university is zoned Residential (with a university designation for any future use). Thus any future development would require a specified departure from the Town Plan. While the City Council might be willing to give such a departure it would no doubt question very closely the complete lack of any parking facilities. A problem emphasise by the fact that Wai-te-Ata Road is mostly zoned no parking. The City Council has on many occasions complained about the lack of adequate parking facilities around campus.

Any such complex would link the existing Student Union Building with the preser Gymnasium. Not all of these problems would appear to have been anticipated by the backers of the scheme.

Further problems would occur with the site itself which would require a large amount of cut and fill and other preparatory work which would increase the cost of the building. Our estimations from architects has been that the cost of construction would be somewhere around $ 1.5 - $2 million. Finally, the Chapel could clash with long term plans to use the site for future student facilities. Such plans have mooted further meeting and recreational areas.

Just who the main backers are has been hard to discover. They are as mentioned before, all former students but Salient was given no substantial clue as to their identity. To the best of our knowledge at least two of the backers are prominent commercial figures in Wellington, and one other is a lawyer. Apparently other backers could include those who have been prominent in community and university affairs for a period of years. The plan is for each of the backers to make a personal contribution to the fund arriving at an initial sum of somewhere around $200,000. The fund would then be opened to the public who would be invited to make contributions. It would seem that the fund raising scheme could be reminiscent of the Halls of Residence appeals that took place in the late sixties and early seventies. Contributions would also be solicited from business, and Government. In the present tight economic situation it would seem that fund raising would take some considerable time, although it was intimated that the backers would like to see the chapel open and ready for use by early 1980.

PROPOSED UNIVERSITY CHAPEL SITE PLAN.

If these are the plans of this group, then it is somewhat interesting that our enquiries around the university and the City Council failed to turn up any information at all. The total lack of information and the denial by many of any knowledge of the scheme prompted us to think that there was a cover-up taking place. We are still of that view and believe that it is time that those in the university who know of the scheme spoke out about it and these supposed backers identified themselves and fully explained their plan.

It is little short of scandalous that such a scheme should even be considered, with a cost of at least $1.5 million, on a site that is very popular and widely used by staff and students at a time when the amount being spent on student facilities, and in particular student accommodation, is small.

Salient will continue to investigate this matter and publish all information that comes into its hands believing that students should not have to tolerate such a plan being foisted off onto them without any consultation, or that any such matters should be quietly decided in private by a select few.

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