The future is looking brighter for the stump of a giant redwood in Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton, but its ultimate fate remains undecided.
Masterton District Council member Gary Caffell, who chairs the council's Parks and Open Spaces task group, met people concerned about the state of the stump yesterday to gauge feelings over what should become of it. The consensus was to encourage the council to allow work to be done on the stump, which would involve grinding away damage largely caused by vandals and to then preserve the remainder of the stump and perhaps cover it for protection.
The 18 people who attended the brief outdoor meeting at the stump also wanted to have the series of information plaques reinstated inside the gazebo-type structure built around the stump which had been taken down because vandals repeatedly scrawled graffiti on them.
An inspection of stump damage yesterday revealed not only had vandals apparently hacked away at it with an axe or similar implement and tried to set it on fire but skateboards had also been ridden over its lacquered top.
Mr Caffell said the task group had discussed whether the best course of action was to remove the stump using some of the better wood from it to make a plaque dedicated to the memory of the man who planted the redwood way back in 1877 - W.W. McCardle.
