Cambridge Town Clock refurbishment
The Cambridge Town Clock will chime again at 6pm on Monday, July 15, as the refurbishment project comes to an end.
Introduction
In early 2024, Council will begin refurbishing and automating Cambridge’s historical Town Clock.
In recent years, following a series of mechanical issues, the clock needed specialist attention up to twice a month to ensure the clock kept accurate time, that the chimes rung, and the four faces of the clock were aligned. The external deterioration of the tower is needing more and more attention as well. This level of servicing has become less sustainable and an increased safety risk.
On top of the increasing workload, there were significant safety risks to constantly wind and re-set the clock on site. Two of our park operation team members had to scale the tower and manually wind the clock every week, sometimes twice a week. Therefore, it was recommended the winding mechanism be automated as well.
A more comprehensive restoration is required to keep the clock, listed as a Category Two Historic Structure, in working order. We’ve had some budget set aside to refurbish the clock to a point where general maintenance and servicing will become less overtime. The condition of the clock and tower structure has deteriorated to a point that concrete is starting to chip, and reinforcing is beginning to get damaged. By doing the work now, we are making savings into the future, while ensuring this community asset ticks and chimes for years to come. The upgrades will also stop the chimes from going off all hours of the night, which in recent time has been caused by moisture getting into the mechanism, combined with its age.
View of Cambridge’s Post Office and town clock circa 1913-1915. Photographed by Price Photo Co. Photo credit: National Library of New Zealand.
View of Cambridge’s Town Clock on Victoria Street in Cambridge.
What’s happening now
The contract to automate the clock mechanism and refurbish the tower has been awarded to Livingstone Building New Zealand Limited. This is a lump sum contract. We completed a tender process for the contract and received three tenderers. The three prices were close, pointing to high reliability in the true value of the work.
Livingstone Building Ltd were chosen for their pricing and quality attributes. They are a Waipā owned business with their owners also calling Waipā home. They have built strong relationships over the years with a wide range of other contractors and service providers. They have also completed a range of community-based projects including the Velodrome in Cambridge, the Te Awamutu Events Centre, and extensive redevelopments at Cambridge High School. Most recently, they are developing housing options in Cambridge and Leamington, with the Resthaven Retirement Village and our Vaile Court pensioner housing development.
In December, following the tender process, the cost of the project was $721,000. This was a significant increase from the original project estimate of $450,000. The jump in costs, since August, reflects the unpredictable market for specialist materials, the deteriorating condition of the tower and the challenging worksite the clock sits on - a small hill, on Cambridge’s main street, at a five-entry roundabout.
Budgets, costs and future savings
The project is partially funded from the 2023-24 financial year, and the rest will be loan funded, with no impact on rates in the current year.
The restoration work involves multiple and specialist trades – plastering, concrete work, steel work, scaffolding, electrical work, clock maintenance to name a few. In addition to that, the head contractor provides overall coordination of the work plan and management of the site including health and safety and traffic management.
The annual maintenance costs will reduce by about $17,000 per annum following in-depth servicing of the clock mechanism. On top of that, annual operating costs associated with manual rewinding will reduce by about $7500.
Funding
A $200,000 grant has been awarded for the restoration of the Cambridge Town Clock.
The Lottery’s Environment and Heritage grant was applied for by Waipā District Council and the application’s success was notified earlier this month. The fund supports plans, reports and one-off projects that will protect, conserve, and promote New Zealand’s natural, cultural and physical heritage.
The project will cost $721,000 and includes the following:
Cost breakdown | Budget |
Clock servicing, automation, hands and faces refurbishment. | $110,000 |
Site establishment, compliance, restoration of roofing, internal and external surfaces, steelwork, electrical and rendering. | $560,700 |
Architectural, contract management, project management. | $50,300 |
TOTAL | $721,000 |
The budget is set out as follows:
Budget breakdown | Budget |
2021–31 Long Term Plan budget allocation | $205,000 |
Historic reserves fund, tagged to the clock repair work | $53,000 |
Loan funded | $463,000 |
TOTAL | $721,000 |
The project is set to be complete by July, 2024. The clock will be out of action over much of this period.
Project impacts
All going to plan, there will no interruption to the road as no closures are required while we complete the project. We do need to temporarily take over some parking spots on Lake Street, the motorcycle parks and five carparks. The hoarding will lessen dust and debris from impacting the road corridor and ensure the site is kept secure while the tower and clock is under repair.
Project timeline
The project is set to be complete by the end of June 2024 with the following timeframe ahead of us.
- Site set-up: Now
- Clock work preparation: End of January to mid-February
- Removal of the clock hands and mechanism: mid-February
- Clock tower refurbishment: end of June
- Clock hands and automated mechanism reinstallation: Early-July
- Project complete: End of July.
The history
Cambridge has many historical buildings in its town centre, perhaps one of the most noticeable is the Cambridge Town Clock with it’s ‘Westminster Chimes’ sequence. The clock was supplied by W. Littlejohn & Sons of Wellington (watchmakers, jewellers and opticians) in 1908 and was originally placed in a tower on top of the post office, apparently much to the annoyance of the post master and family who lived in the top storey of the post office. Nowadays, the old post office is Alpino Restaurant.
Cracks subsequently appeared in the tower after the Hawkes Bay earthquake in February 1931. The chimes were stopped and later in the year it was decided that the clock had to come down. The new (current) 13 metre clock tower was built at the central site by Speight Pearce Nicoll and Davy for £655, with designs were by architect Harold White.
The clock was installed and Mrs Edith Priestley (the wife of the mayor at the time, Charles Herman Priestley) officially restarted it at 3pm on October 5, 1934.
Media releases
- $200,000 awarded to Cambridge Town Clock, 17 June 2024
- Repairs up against the clock, 11 December 2023
- Cambridge clock in line for major overhaul, 29 August 2023
- Cambridge town clock silenced for now, 29 September 2023
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