Suspicious fire hits derelict Mt Albert hospital days before council deadline

Author: Rachel Maher,
Publish Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2026, 4:13pm

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is treating the fire at the former hospital on Carrington Rd as suspicious. Photo / Chris Casey

A former psychiatric hospital in Mt Albert has been damaged by a suspicious fire just days before the managers of the building face a deadline to secure the derelict site as part of a bylaw notice issued by Auckland Council.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said they received a call just before 1pm about smoke showing in the building.

When crews arrived, they found a fire on the first floor, which has since been extinguished, the spokesperson said.

Remaining hot spots had also been dampened, the spokesperson said, and a fire investigator had attended the scene.

A police spokesperson confirmed they would be “working with fire and emergency investigators to understand the circumstances surrounding the fire to determine next steps”.

They said the blaze was now being treated as suspicious.

The building’s continued deterioration had been the subject of many complaints from local leaders and concerned residents.

This includes a scathing letter from Mt Albert MP Helen White to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown demanding the council uphold its duties in protecting the historic brick building after community concern that those responsible for it were demolishing it “through neglect”.

It came after years of repeated vandalism, including the smashing of nearly every window, huge piles of dumped rubbish, and graffiti, which now covers the walls.

The category one heritage building has been dormant for five years since the sale by Unitec in 2018 to the Crown, with the land it resides on set to be developed into at least 4000 apartments. Photo / Jason Dorday

In her letter to Brown, White demanded that Auckland Council immediately address the “ongoing and accelerating deterioration of [Carrington Building One]”.

The building has been dormant for five years since the sale by Unitec in 2018 to the Crown, with the land it resides on set to be developed into at least 4000 apartments by the Marutūāhu Ockham No.6 Limited Partnership.

Auckland Council compliance manager Adrian Wilson said a notice was issued in May under the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Bylaw 2015, which required the owners to “ensure all entry points to the buildings are secured and barriers maintained”.

He said the owners have until July 13 to comply.

According to Auckland Council documents, breaching the order can lead to fines of up to $20,000.

“The only enforcement mechanism available under the bylaw is prosecution,” Wilson said.

“The threshold for the council to pursue prosecution is high, and we would expect to work with owners to ensure compliance well before reaching that point.”

On May 5, police said three men smashed through the building, targeting it for “materials to sell”, which the Herald understands to be copper wiring. Three men were charged with burglary.

Three men have been charged with burglary after allegedly rummaging through and smashing up the old Auckland building. Photo / Jason Dorday

Local resident Chris Casey, who has been heavily involved in the fight to protect the heritage building, said the destruction was not fair for the “precious taonga”.

“It’s falling to bits; the lack of management and the lack of respect is quite insulting to the building, let alone what it is to the community.

“They need to fix the bloody roof.”

Auckland Council has been approached for comment.