Clear debris and reopen Turanga Gardens

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Around 21 years ago, on my initiative and with the support of Gisborne Turanga Lions and the patronage of the late Bill Williams, Turanga Gardens was born.
Over the intervening years, with the passing of many of our Lions members, we have been able to continue its development with the support of the District Council, members of the public and numerous businesses.
Unfortunately, we now appear to have council bureaucrats who feel that the exercise of power is far greater than common sense.
Although it is now around two months since the onset of Cyclone Gabrielle, we, along with the general public, have been excluded from the area on the grounds of perceived danger.
This despite a written undertaking from a council staff member in an email over two weeks ago that debris would be cleared the following week.
One certainly needs to be careful in any such area, but if this area is now too dangerous for even us gardeners to work, then should every house on Diana Drive be either yellow or red stickered?
Perhaps, unlike most towns and cities in the world, we do not need parks and open spaces???
Ray Gowland