Council's preferred option, of a fully outdoor area with the eternal flame at its centre. Photo / Supplied
Council's preferred option, of a fully outdoor area with the eternal flame at its centre. Photo / Supplied
Napier City Council is finalising two options to consult the public on for where the eternal flame and honour rolls will be situated, but a group of residents says a third option should be included.
Council orginially voted to put three options forward for consultation, however one of the proposals was dropped when the designer withdrew it.
A group of Napier residents says the public should still be allowed to vote on three options, including an indoor design.
They have submitted a third, indoor option, although council is not planning on consulting the public on it.
A council spokesperson said it was up to the councillors, rather than council officers, whether the third design would be included. This will be decided at a council meeting on Tuesday, October 2.
The finalised versions of the options going to consultation have not been released to the public yet, however, draft proposals were discussed at the council meeting on June 29.
According to the agenda for the June 29 meeting, the council's preferred proposal is a fully outdoor option, placed close to where the Napier War Memorial Centre is.
The eternal flame would be placed in the centre of the design, with the honour rolls places at the outer edge.
Councils preferred option is a fully outdoor area, with the eternal flame at in the middle and honour rolls at the outer edge. Photo / Supplied
Option two was created by the architect who designed the original War Memorial, Guy Natusch.
A shrine of contemplation, housing the flame and the honour rolls, would be built where the floral clock currently is, with the clock being moved the Sunken Gardens.
Guy Natusch's design would see a shrine built outside the building to house the honour rolls and eternal flame. Photo / Supplied
A council spokesperson said these conceptual designs were still being finalised.
"The initial concept drawings are currently being worked up into proper visual designs, so that people get a fair representation of what they will finally look like.
"Some of the designs have had small modifications, as a result of final changes from the designer."
The third, public submitted option, was designed by Craig Morley.
It takes an area of the War Memorial Centre which is currently being used as a storage space.
The publicly submitted option would see an indoor storage space transformed into the memorial. Photo / Supplied
"It's the most under utilised floor space probably on the entire parade," Morley said.
"The proposal is to use that space, obviously you don't want a dark space, so put some windows in."
He said the space would hold the eternal flame and honour rolls if that's what the public wanted.
"This design option doesn't have to have the Roll of Honour and flame inside it – this is for the public to decide. It provides a fully sheltered and secure area that could house them if need be.
"But what it offers that the outdoor areas can't is a space for electronic and digital media presentations, video, pictures, flags, prints, memorabilia, etc, of our fallen."
While it was indoors, Morley said the area could be 24/7 access if the public wanted it.
He said ultimately the memorial design needed to be a public decision.
"We're not dictating to them what they should choose, we're leaving it up to them and just giving them the information.
"It's entirely possible to have an indoor area, my proposal for example, but also include elements of the outdoor designs in conjunction with that.
