Napier council to consult on three memorial designs

Mayor Bill Dalton responds to audience member Alan Rhodes during yesterday's meeting. Photo / Duncan Brown

The Napier City Council's plan to consult on one preferred option for reinstating the memorial items at the Napier War Memorial Centre has been rejected in favour of asking for community feedback on three possible solutions for their restoration.

The issue was debated at an extraordinary meeting held yesterday, attended by about 20 members of the public, including some who vocalised their frustration and were told by mayor Bill Dalton to stop interjecting or leave the room.

On the table was a proposal to seek feedback on a preferred proposal to create an outdoor, landscaped area to house the items, estimated to cost between $460,000 and $500,000.

The two other options were an annex attached to the main building (at an estimated cost of $500,000 to $2m), which the Ministry of Culture and Heritage felt limited opportunities for inclusion of emotion and symbolism, education programmes and 24/7 access and ownership, and a building next to the main building (estimated to cost $2m).

Two people took the opportunity to speak to the council before the meeting started, expressing their concerns about the options presented and the process whereby the proposals had come about.

Resident Craig Morley said he was opposed to the preferred landscape option, which was to situate the flame in an outdoor area adjoining the memorial building, with the Roll of Honour installed nearby.

He said it provided no connection to the building, and it was not sheltered or enclosed, thus at risk of repeating historic problems of the flame being extinguished, which led to the items being brought inside the building during its reconstruction in 1995.

He said that as far as he knew there had been no consultation with Heritage NZ or Heritage Hawke's Bay, and that the option was going against the original intention for the memorial to be a building.

"The original memorial was to be a community building – in the mid-1950s the community fundraised for that and the government matched the funds raised in order to build a building – it was never intended to be a memorial garden, tree or bush.

"All memorials belong to the people – let them decide, let them remember the fallen."

Les Hewett, president of the Hastings branch of the Royal NZ Air Force Association, also spoke of his disappointment that the detailed information in the meeting agenda about all three options had not been presented to the public for feedback.

"I am not qualified to provide comment on those suggestions but I am not confident to leave it up to this council – before any decision is made all aspects of this agenda should democratically be shared with our community as a whole."

Councillor Kirsten Wise also attracted the wrath of the mayor who accused her of political grandstanding and campaigning when she supported these concerns and voiced her own about the council's approach to the contentious, long-running issue.

Wise said she wanted to speak on behalf of Guy Natusch, the architect of the original War Memorial Centre, who could not attend the meeting.

"Guy has said he does not endorse the preferred option and he feels the collaboration between officers and himself was limited and at no point was he asked to give formal feedback."

His concerns were that there was a lack of connection to the building, the south facing aspect of the design and the lack of shelter…and that it must be at forecourt level not below in a sunken garden, she said.

"In my opinion, the restoration that we are discussing yet again after many long months symbolises a far greater issue in council.

"Over recent months we have heard through numerous members of the community through the Long Term Plan and the representation review a strong theme of discontent.

"People have said through submissions that they do not feel heard, they do not have a voice, that there's a disconnect between the community and local government, they feel disengaged and that there is no accountability."

At this point Dalton interrupted saying these views had nothing to do with the decision in front of them.

"This is not a platform for launching a campaign, it's about the war memorial."

"It has everything to do with it," interjected Alan Rhodes from the public gallery, who was told by Dalton that if he didn't keep quiet the meeting would be abandoned until he left or kept quiet and listened to the process.

Wise said she was offended Dalton took the view that she was using the discussion as a political campaign and continued saying that as a council they needed to ask themselves why the community was feeling that way.

"As councillors we need to challenge the options on behalf of the community and seek more information as required – our job is to ask the uncomfortable questions."

After more discussion her resolution that the council put all three designs out for public consultation, feedback and input was put to the vote.

This was supported by councillors Maxine Boag, Api Tapine, Tony Jeffery, Richard McGrath, Annette Brosnan, Larry Dallimore and Tania Wright.

Those against this idea reasoned that it would mean the decision process would take even longer, and that it would be very difficult to get everyone's agreement.

On the matter of signage, the council agreed to create external signage on the forecourt of the memorial site, and to have the words Napier War Memorial Centre put on to the curved wall of the ballroom area of the building, this to be done if possible by October 2018.