NZDF to start work on new Dunedin home

The New Zealand Defence Force’s Dunedin recruitment office along with Army and Navy reserve units based in the city will move into a shared home from next year.

“Work will commence next week on the refurbishment of the Cumberland Street building that will eventually co-locate the three New Zealand Defence Force units in Dunedin – HMNZS Toroa, NZ Army and NZDF Recruitment,” an NZDF spokesperson told Crux today.

“This refurbishment is estimated to take 13 months to complete.”

The move will see a Royal New Zealand Navy Reserve Unit, New Zealand Army Reserve Units based in Kensington Army Hall, and the Defence Careers office, re-locate to a new Defence Facility on Cumberland Street (previously Farmlands and located next door to Gun City).

The two NZDF-owned properties - Kensington Army Hall in Bridgman Street and HMNZS Toroa in St Andrew Street - are both earthquake-prone.

The Kensington Army Hall was built in 1915, while the Otago Division of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (later to be commissioned HMNZS Toroa) was established in 1928 and shared the Army Hall before moving to its current site in the central city in 1948.  

In line with government requirements, the vacated NZDF-owned buildings in Bridgman Street and St Andrews Street will be disposed of in accordance with the Public Works Act.

Main image: The former farmlands building,, which the NZDF will next week start work to change it into its new Dunedin home for NZDF recruitment and Dunedin-based Army and Navy Reserve units.