The council wants to replace memorial park benches
Waipā District Council community services manager Brad Ward will pause the replacement of six 70-year-old park benches in Te Awamutu and Districts War Memorial Park.
Brad Ward
The move is seen as a significant step after accusations and counter accusations of vandalism and mayor Susan O’Regan stepping in, suggesting comments were not helpful or appropriate, “by either side”.
Te Awamutu residents Marc Dawson and Peter Fletcher had responded to news of the planned replacement of the old seats by funding a restoration project – against the council’s wishes.
But after their work was highlighted in The News, the council removed the frame work for the one seat still to be repaired.
The work was part of a $58,000 renewal programme at the park. Ward then released a statement saying, “we take any sort of vandalism or public interference of community assets seriously and are currently considering options”.
Susan O’Regan
But last week, questioned by members of the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board, he revealed he had pressed pause on the plans after meeting Dawson and Fletcher.
“We’ve met with members of the Te Awamutu War Memorial Park Maintenance Committee to understand the work that has been undertaken on the seats and have agreed to pause the replacement while we reassess their condition,” Ward said
“We will continue to work closely with the committee as we move forward and identify future needs for inclusion in the next Long-Term Plan.”
When given the news, Dawson said “it feels like something to smile about… they need to be forgiven”.Community board chair Ange Holt was also pleased with the outcome, saying “that’s good”.
Two of the seven historic seats restored by Marc Dawson and Peter Fletcher. Photo: Chris Gardner
Earlier, she had responded to the council’s actions by saying “Marc and Peter did not vandalise these seats, they fixed them… staff have vandalised the last original seat. They took the bars off so that it was unusable. Now we are a seat less”.
At last week’s community board meeting member Jill Taylor had asked council officers attending last Wednesday’s board meeting for clarity.
Jill Taylor
“In your Long-Term Plan, it says that you are going to replace the seats this coming year, starting in July,” Taylor said. “Does this mean that they will still be replaced even though they have been restored?”
Strategy group manager Kirsty Downey couldn’t answer Taylor’s question.
“I can’t recall what was decided in terms of the war memorial park,” she said.
She referred the question to strategy manager Melissa Russo.“I am not familiar with that level of details,” she said.
Taylor was told the council would come back to her with an answer.
