$92k Masterton pou blow budget

PRICEY: Masterton's pou are proving more expensive than expected.

The bill for pou at Masterton's southern and northern entrances has come in at just under $92,000, or nearly three times the initial budget.

This was revealed at a Masterton District Council committee meeting this week when councillor Brent Goodwin asked to be updated on the costs of the pou.

Confirming the amount, council spokesman Sam Rossiter-Stead said most of the cost had been incurred in crane hireage for erecting the pou that feature a collection of deliberately rusted symbols relating to life in Wairarapa.

The initial budget was $35,000 which proved to be unrealistic because it failed to take into account costs, including $12,000 needed for clearing trees and other unwanted vegetation from the southern entranceway so the pou could be hoisted upright, and the cost of brackets for attaching the symbols. Also overlooked was the cost of engaging the services of a structural engineer. In what is being referred to as stage two of the pou project, smaller pou will be erected at four other approaches to the town incorporating them in welcome signs and a separate budget of $64,000 has been earmarked for that project.

They will be installed at Te Whiti Road, Akura Road, Te Ore Ore Road and at the district's boundary near Mt Bruce.

Stage two will utilise the symbols that were made too small for using on the main pou at the southern and northern entrances, as was originally intended.

Councillor Gary Caffell said since the main pou were erected he had fielded many calls questioning the cost.

He said it could be time to reconsider whether stage two should go ahead.

Councillor David Holmes said whereas he was not against having the pou, they were proving to be a "bit of a distraction" for drivers.

"Perhaps they would have been better at a place where people could picnic, and observe them," he said.

The idea of pou was floated during the term of a previous council and arose from a communications strategy task group.