Auckland councillor Maurice Williamson criticises $187,000 sculpture amid rubbish bin removals

Auckland Council has spent almost $150,000 on a statue at a park where it later removed a rubbish bin, sparking outrage from the chairman of the council’s revenue committee.

The council is removing a third of rubbish bins to save $9.5 million over the next eight financial years.

The sculpture, at the Pakuranga Rotary Walkway, was installed in November last year, two months later a bin was removed from near the statue.

Local councillor Maurice Williamson, who chairs the council’s Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee, said the statue is nice but not essential.

“I’m a firm believer that council has core roles it needs to handle like water, wastewater, rubbish, footpaths and roading. It’s time council stuck to its knitting instead of nice-to-haves like funding pieces of aluminium as an arts and culture thing.

“It would be great if we were so wealthy we could afford to do that stuff, but let’s just get the basics right.”

Williamson said the rubbish bin proposal is the “best example of good policy implemented poorly”.

He said he’s puzzled by which bins were chosen for removal in his ward.

“There are bins being removed that are frequently used, some that are overflowing in fact. People are incensed, I took my dog out for a walk and noticed bins missing left, right and centre.”

Auckland Council head of area operations parks and community facilities Julie Pickering said public art played a vital role in a livable city.

She said when considering what rubbish bins to remove in the area, the council factored in whether the bin was in an area where people are likely or able to carry their rubbish away.

Pickering said the statue was commissioned by the Pakuranga Rotary Club to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

“The total cost of the sculpture, including artwork design, consenting, fabrication and installation was $187,628. Of this total, $146,628 was allocated through the Auckland Council public art budget. The Rotary Club of Pakuranga contributed $41,000.”

Pickering said the council “encourages people who are bringing items that generate waste into the park to find the nearest bin or take the waste home with them to dispose of”.

The statue was commissioned by the Pakuranga Rotary Club to celebrate its 50th anniversary at a cost of $187,628. Of this total, $146,628 was allocated through the Auckland Council public art budget. Photo / Auckland Council