Devonport ratepayers paying for vandalised public artwork

Virginia King has had to recreate her 22-year-old sculpture which was vandalised beyond repair. Photo / The Aucklander

Devonport ratepayers have had to pay for repairs to several vandalised public artworks in the past year because the North Shore City Council does not carry insurance for the works.

After the latest incident, sculptor Virginia King has re-created Vessel, a replica of a piece she completed 22 years ago.

The original sculpture stood on the corner of Flagstaff Tce and Victoria Rd in Devonport until last year when vandals chiselled it from its plinth and left it damaged beyond repair.

Devonport Community Board wanted to replace the artwork and asked the council for money. The council found it had no insurance for art in public places and the board was told there was nothing in the budget to pay for replacing Vessel.

Board chairman Mike Cohen says the council's lack of an insurance policy has left the board to foot the bill for several replacements this year. Brass horses from the Windsor Reserve fountain were stolen in late 2008 and cast-iron replacements were installed last month. A new bronze map table for the top of Mt Victoria is currently being forged.

"Councils have insurance but, in the case of the North Shore City Council, it decided not to insure [artwork in public places] and if there was damage it relied on us to cover it. We really wanted the repairs to happen, and it was better to get it done ourselves than to spend ages arguing."

Each of the other five councils making up the new Auckland Council - Franklin, Manukau, Auckland City, Waitakere and Rodney - have insurance for their artworks in public places. Most report very little damage to public artworks over the past two years.

A spokesperson for the Auckland Transition Agency says there will be a single insurance policy in place for public artworks in time for the start of the new council on November 1.

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