Whanganui District Council votes to hand over Rotokawau Virginia Lake Aviary to community group

Public submissions were split on the aviary's future during the council's LTP process.

Whanganui’s Rotokawau Virginia Lake Aviary has been saved from closure after Whanganui district councillors voted to hand it to a community group.

The deal comes with a one-off council grant of $20,000, which will help Friends of the Aviary get up and running for the first six months.

Councillors Josh Chandulal-Mackay, Peter Oskam, Ross Fallen and Charlie Anderson voted against handing over the aviary, with Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe, Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig and councillors Michael Law, Glenda Brown, Helen Craig, Jenny Duncan, Rob Vinsen and Kate Joblin in favour.

Earlier this year, elected members voted 7-6 to close the aviary as part of the council’s Long Term Plan (LTP).

The council’s LTP consultation document said closing the aviary would save $190,000 a year, but Friends of the Aviary estimates annual operating costs will be about $49,800.

Tripe, who voted to close the aviary during the LTP process, said he looked at three criteria when making his decision on the group - financial viability, no burden to the ratepayer, and bird welfare.

“I believe I can tick all three of those off,” he said.

“I would like what [Friends of the Aviary] have done role-modelled across our community in all sorts of different ways.”

Public submissions on the LTP were split nearly 50-50 on the closure of the facility, he said.

“Those who wanted it to stay open, this is your chance to step up and help these guys out.”

Chandulal-Mackay said the work the Friends of the Aviary had done was admirable and “a really good blueprint” for future community groups.

However, Law brought a motion to hand the aviary over to a community group during LTP deliberations and that had been voted down, he said.

“The set of reasoning I used to cast my vote during deliberations has not changed.

“We live in a representative democracy and, as part of the consultation, there were something like 600 people who voted for the aviary to be closed.

“Those people deserve to have representation around this table as well.”

Public submissions on the LTP showed 630 in favour of closure, 612 wanting it to stay open and 128 wanting something else.

Friends of the Aviary chairman Grant Rogerson said the group was now a charitable trust, a condition for the council providing the $20,000 grant.

“We are fortunate to have a solid start-up committee who have dedication and a wide range of experience to ensure professional operation of the aviary,” he said.

The group intended to change views that the aviary was “just there for the enjoyment of humans” and it would become a valuable, educational resource.

Rogerson said there was no intention to increase the number of birds and he was confident the council grant would be enough to get the group started.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.