Rudman's city: Quibble at siting of Robbie statue descends into farce

By BRIAN RUDMAN

Yesterday there was supposed to be a grand unveiling of the Sir Dove-Myer Robinson statue.

But not a champagne cork was popped in honour of the legendary mayor nor an anecdote told.

Instead, Robbie is cooling his bronze heels in sculptor Toby Twiss' workshop in the depths of Onehunga while councillors scrap over where the monument should go. Not even during Robbie's colourful reign was there such a farce.

Deputy Mayor David Hay reckons Robbie is not sufficiently "historic" to merit the prime site unanimously chosen by the last council - of which he was a part - on the Queen St footpath just north of the Town Hall.

In response, the statue steering committee is warning of legal action if the council reneges on the agreed site.

Mr Hay's proposal is to rusticate Robbie across town to the quietude of the Parnell Rose Gardens parkland named after him.

He apparently has the support of Mayor John Banks and his tenderfoot Auckland Citizens and Ratepayers Now council colleagues.

For Mayor Banks it's an amazing turnaround.

Last December, soon after taking office, he was briefed on the project by Robbie's niece, Dame Barbara Goodman, and George Farrant, the city heritage manager.

So enthused was he that he asked for a tour of the proposed site, admired it and made suggestions about the best way to light it.

When Dame Barbara suggested he host a fund-raising cocktail party to help to raise money for the statue, the mayor curtly declined, saying he was not going to go cap in hand to ask for money for someone of the stature of his predecessor.

There were whispers back in January that the Citrats, now in a majority, were having dark thoughts about providing this site to honour the maverick mayor.

It all came out in the open at the February 7 meeting of the recreation and events committee, when chairman Scott Milne dropped a bombshell by moving from the floor that the statue be resited.

That followed a report from officials outlining the history of the project since November 1999 when political scientist Dr Graham Bush had outlined his idea for a permanent memorial to this prominent figure.

Subsequently the council had agreed to underwrite the $97,500 project and after a selection process contracted Toby Twiss to complete the statue for the Town Hall apex site by February 28 this year.

At the February 7 meeting Mr Hay backed Mr Milne's proposal for a site change but protests from non-Citrat councillors forced Mr Milne to delay the vote.

Instead, officials were instructed to investigate other sites and report to yesterday's meeting of the committee. This report was then delayed until the April meeting, officials pleading lack of time.

Yesterday, Dame Barbara pleaded with a velvet glove for the existing site. The work was "site specific" she said. "The artist's characterisation of Robbie as a 'street level man of the people' ... would be entirely negated were the work to be relegated to a quiet corner of the city or to its parkland. The figure is meant to be seen and interacted with, at life-sized pedestrian level, in the city's busiest civic associated places."

She also warned, on behalf of her statue steering committee members, who include city art gallery director Chris Saines and city heritage manager George Farrant, that "were the council to default on its contract vis a vis the designated placement of the work, then the artist would be reasonably entitled to take legal proceedings against council to assert his rights under the contract".

Unchastened by this threat, Mr Milne made sly digs about how much a man of the people Robbie really was. He alluded to the pitiful returns the public fund-raising had collected and said that "it seems the message coming through ... is that the public doesn't want this statue".

If public donations were a measure of Robbie's popularity, he has a point. So far the only contributions are $10,000 from the Auckland Regional Council, $5000 from Watercare Services and $1000 from local politician Mike Lee, one of the original proponents of the statue, who gave the fees he received as a member of the committee.

As for David Hay, he hovers in the background denying he's been "rattling the cage" at all.

He says there are quite a number who share his concerns about whether "sticking Robbie at the apex of the Town Hall is appropriate".

Why might it not be appropriate?

"Well where is Logan Campbell and the real fathers of Auckland?"

He is also "upset" that the promised fundraising has produced nothing but public money - Mike Lee's contribution excepted.

When told Dame Barbara was speaking at yesterday's meeting he said: "With respect, she'd be better sending the money along."

He refused to say why Robbie was not "historic" enough for the Town Hall site, but he did say, as a Mt Roskillite, that his diversion of sewage from the Waitemata Harbour to the Manukau was less appreciated on his side of town.

"He took the raw sewage out of the Waitemata and stuck it in the Manukau. So personally I don't think he was fantastic. It stuffed up our beaches in Mt Roskill."

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the ARC money comes from a central business district development levy that cannot be used at the Rose Garden site - which ups Auckland City's bill another $10,000 if it changes site.

As I said, it is a farce. The statue is completed, a site has been chosen and it's a good one.

Let's just get on with it. If Mr Hay and Mr Banks like the Rose Garden site so much, perhaps they can leave some money and we'll save it for them.