Ballance won't be back

JOHN Ballance won't return to his former home at Moutoa Gardens.
The Wanganui District Council yesterday approved a community development committee recommendation not to return a replacement statue to Moutoa/Pakaitore.
The original statue was vandalised beyod repair by activists during the 1994 occupation of the site and has been in storage since.
A tripartite agreement between council, iwi and the Crown to resolve issues around the occupation had a provision that the statue would be returned briefly to the Moutoa Gardens before being reallocated permanently to another site.
But the community committee recommended the council instead accede to a Moutoa Gardens Historic Reserve Board request that the statue be permanently relocated to a site other than Moutoa Gardens.
Cr Don McGregor spoke to the item, calling such a proposal a backward step.
"Iwi and this council both signed the agreement in the presence of the prime minister, and it should go there temporarily. One reason is to show that crime doesn't pay; people can't just go around smashing statues," he said.
"Also, I think when iwi acceded to having it back temporarily it was an apology, an acknowledgement that it shouldn't have happened.
"I don't think we should change something that was so solemnly agreed to four years ago," Mr McGregor said.
Mayor Michael Laws said the reserve board, which he sits on, was of the view that the statue should be relocated somewhere where it would be properly appreciated.
"But siting it at Moutoa could see John Ballance possibly damaged further."
Mr Laws said the statue would eventually be moved anyway. Another issue was the original statue plinth, which was still at the reserve.
Cr Sue Pepperell said the family of John Ballance didn't want his effigy heading back to Moutoa Gardens.
"I think it's important to note that the family of John Ballance have expressly said they do not want it back there," she said.
A vote was taken with only Crs McGregor and Randhir Dahya voting against the proposal. All councillors, bar the departed Graeme Taylor, were present at the meeting. Cr Sue Westwood withdrew from the meeting during the vote.
Council community development manager Rosemary Hovey also noted that a new statue had yet to be created, although insurance money was hand.
The reserve board and council would have to decide what materials to use, whether the new statue would be the same size as the old or smaller and what would happen to the plinth.