Insurance to cover camp fire

It will cost more than $500,000 to replace the building destroyed in an arson attack on Lindisfarne Camp.

The insurance company has indicated it will accept the claim for the damage to the camp situated in the Upper Pareora Gorge, and work has begun on plans for a new kitchen and hall block, the camp's building subcommittee chairman Ben Lee said yesterday.

He was hopeful the new block would be completed by late summer. "That gives us four months to build and a month to do the plans."

The 50-year-old concrete block and timber building was destroyed by fire overnight on August 22. Police were treating that fire and several others in the area the same night, as suspicious.

Police investigations into the fire were on-going with staff "making progress", acting detective sergeant Dylan Murray said yesterday. Mr Murray said they were still receiving information from the public relating to the fires.

The site has already been cleared of the fire debris in preparation for the rebuilding to begin.

The hall and kitchen would be redesigned to cater for the camp's increasing use as a venue for 21st bithdays and weddings. Mr Lee said it was proving popular as a venue for such events as the guests would stay over night and did not not need to worry about driving home. Professional caterers were often involved in those events and preferred kitchen facilities superior to that on offer at the camp before the fire. Mr Lee envisaged the new kitchen would be fitted out with commercial ovens and equipment and have more modern wipe-down surfaces.

He was thankful the camp trustees had replacement insurance for the 305 square metre kitchen-hall block, which was valued at around $280,000.

Neither the sleeping facilities catering for 60 people nor the ablution blocks were damaged in the fire.

Mr Lee said all those who had booked the camp for the next few months had now been advised of the fire. A wedding was to have been held there last weekend, but was transferred to the Raincliff youth camp – on the only weekend the youth camp was available in the near future.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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