Kihikihi’s clock has been stuck in time.
For more than two years, Kihikihi’s town clock has been stuck at 1.31pm.
Residents who were unhappy about the clock complained to councillors and the matter appeared at the Waipā District Council’s long term plan hearing last week Thursday.
And as the News reported last week, the calls to get with the times has been heard.
Te Awamutu ward councillor and Kihikihi resident Marcus Gower said having the clock running again was about having a sense of pride in the town.
“I think that it is a Council asset and as such it should be in a functioning state,” Gower said.
“What do you think when you drive through a town and see things not working, especially a clock? Maybe that the people don’t really care about their place and that the town seems like it has no heart?”
The mechanical turret clock, manufactured in 1881, needed to be wound manually but efforts to keep it on time had stopped.
The council heard it would cost up to $70,000 to repair, upgrade and automate the clock, and to provide safe access to maintain it.
The ‘Turret’ clock was manufactured in 1881 and operated in a tower at Te Awamutu Post office from 1912 to 1934. T has been overlooking Kihikihi since 1960.
The council’s property manager Bruce Nunns said some upgrades to the building might be needed along with checks to detect and remove asbestos.
Gower suggested that other amendments could also be done with the budget to help put some pride back into the clock tower and its adjoining war memorial.
Kihikihi’s Residents and Ratepayers group declined to comment on the decision to repair the clock.
