KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has condemned the removal of four war memorial pillars from the site of a planned shopping centre and said the way it was done was "insensitive".
The pillars were removed stealthily from Greymouth in the early hours of Sunday morning and turned up in a paddock at Arahura, 32km south of Greymouth.
One of the 86 year old pillars had split in two.
The pillars were ripped out by a truck and crane from their historic site at the entrance to the Karoro Learning Centre, a site now owned by the Mawhera Incorporation and earmarked for redevelopment as a shopping centre.
The trust was in the throes of registering the structure as a category two historic place to prevent its removal, but was too late.
The pillars are now on Humphrey's Gully Road, in the Arahura Valley, near the home of Mawhera Incorporation chairman Maika Mason.
Trust southern general manager Malcolm Duff said the entrance gates served as a significant reminder of the sacrifice made by the people of that community.
The trust had been working with the site's owners to find an appropriate place for the pillars and was "extremely disappointed" that they had been moved without consultation.
"This insensitive removal should serve as a timely reminder to all city, regional and district councils to ensure war memorials of all forms are listed as protected items in their plans."
The pillars and gates were erected in front of the original Grey Main School on Anzac Day 1922 as a memorial to former pupils and teachers who died in World War 1.
Constable Noel McEwen, of Greymouth police, said he had spoken to the contractor who removed the structure. He confirmed the pillars were in the Arahura Valley but said it was a civil matter.
The contractors said the intention was to bring them back to Greymouth, but they wanted easier access to the site.
Mr McEwen said police had been unable to contact Mr Mason.
The Mawhera Incorporation is a Poutini Ngai Tahu company that owns about 900 residential, commercial and rural leases in Greymouth and Westport, including most of the Greymouth central business district.
Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn demanded the return of the pillars and wanted Mr Mason to contact him about it.
"We want restitution and restoration of them. It may not be on the site, but he can pay. It's the least he can do."
Numerous attempts to contact Mr Mason yesterday and today were unsuccessful.
- NZPA
