Thames-Coromandel District Council's town service centre in the Coromandel Township. The tekoteko are pictured on Memorial Reserve in the foreground. The centre carving has been replaced with a road cone.
Thames-Coromandel District Council's town service centre in the Coromandel Township. The tekoteko are pictured on Memorial Reserve in the foreground. The centre carving has been replaced with a road cone.
A road cone now marks the spot where a tekoteko once stood at a memorial park in the Coromandel Township.
Ratepayers have been asked to help replace one of three tekoteko situated at Memorial Reserve in the township at a cost of $8000.
The Coromandel Arts Council has commissioned the carving of a replacement tekoteko and has so far secured $1500 through the Creative Communities scheme for the project.
It is awaiting the outcome of a further application and seeking support from the Coromandel-Colville Community Board’s discretionary fund of up to $6500 to assist.
The three carvings were commissioned by the Coromandel Arts Council in 2011 and situated at the Memorial Reserve on the town’s main street, Kapanga Rd, in front of the council building.
The three tekoteko were carved from a kauri tree that had fallen at nearby Long Bay Reserve in the Coromandel.
A road cone marks the spot where the carving once stood.
In a report to the community board, council area manager for Coromandel Margaret Harrison said during an annual inspection, it was discovered one of the tekoteko had rotted inside and subsequently had to be removed as it was unsafe to have it remain on-site.
Upon assessment, it has been deemed irrepairable and therefore required replacement.
The tekoteko had been at the site for nearly 14 years and the three figures were a popular visitor attraction, part of the town’s heritage and culture, Harrison said.
“These tekoteko are representative of the tangata whenua of this area and share the reserve with other historical memorials.
“The local office has received many enquiries about why the centre tekoteko has been removed and if it will be replaced.”
Council staff had determined no community engagement was needed before a decision was made. The appropriate type of engagement would be to inform the public of the decision after it was made, and that would be done through the council’s usual media channels, the report said.
The centre tekoteko has been removed and will cost $8000 to replace. Photo / Thames-Coromandel District Council
Two options would be presented, but a preferred option had not been tabled as the decision to provide funding from the discretionary fund was primarily at the community board’s discretion.
If the board was to approve all or part of the funding request, funds would be spent in the area it was rated from, funds would come from external sources to support the project, there would be an improvement of the aesthetic value of the area, and it would be a response to community requests, the report said.
The road cone surrounded by the tekoteko, with a plaque visible in the foreground. Photo / Thames-Coromandel District Council
The disadvantages would include reduced funds for future requests, and funds would not be accumulated in retained earnings.
The board had a discretionary fund of $55,000 for the 2024/2025 financial year, of which no funds had been expended to date. There were no specific criteria for the fund – however, that was being addressed through a grants review process.
In the interim, the board had virtually full discretion regarding what to fund and had historically provided support for initiatives and projects that benefited the community, Harrison said.
The Coromandel-Colville Community Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
