Whakaari-White Island erupted in December 2019, resulting in the loss of 22 lives and many severe injuries. Photo: Supplied via LDR
Further engagement with hapū is needed if a Whakaari memorial space is to be created in Whakatāne.
Whakatāne District Council's living together committee received a briefing from the Whakaari Memorial Steering Group at a meeting on Thursday.
Steering group members Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board's Carolyn Hamill and Mark Inman, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa general manager Romana Graham and Whakatāne District Council principal advisor Kay Borham presented information about progress to date.
In late 2023, the community board began exploring options for the memorial for the 9 December, 2019 eruption of Whakaari-White Island in which 22 people lost their lives and many more received life changing injuries.
Early engagement with the rūnanga resulted in the formation of the steering group.
Through police family liaison officers, the group began communication with the Whakaari Whānau - families of those who died and those who were on the island at the time of the eruption and survived.
The feedback was in support of a permanent memorial space.
"The main focus for the Whakaari memorial is that it's not just a sculpture, although there will probably be that component," Hamill told local democracy reporting. "It will be a reception space that will provide an ability for the community to just come and be. So it's important we get the place right for that."
A riverside location, near Te Hau Tutua Park at The Heads, Kāpū te Rangi and Ōtarawairere Road lookout were all considered.
The steering group said that for a variety of reasons, including "comparative site complexity and feedback from Whakaari Whānau", it focused its explorations on the Te Hau Tutua Park location.
However, after feedback from the most recent engagement with hapū, the Steering Group said they were no longer investigating that site.
Graham told the committee on Thursday that the group was "still in the engagement stage with hapū".
"The feedback we have got so far is that they are not against a memorial, they just wanted to be part of it right from the beginning, which, on reflection, was overlooked by myself and the rūnanga.
"We've heard all sorts of suggestions, like downsizing, moving to other locations... We're looking at all options."
Hamill said they were engaging with various groups to make sure everyone's views are heard.
Wider community consultation would progress in due course.
An area near Te Hau Tutua Park at The Heads is the site favoured by survivors of the eruption and family members of those who died. Photo: Supplied via LDR
A video has been made showing concept designs for the memorial, which Hamill said were flexible, however, it was not considered appropriate to show the video while the location was still undecided.
"Discussion at the moment was about where an appropriate site is for the memorial. It may take some time to reach a good agreement about that.
"We had a lot of feedback from first responders that Kapu te Rangi would be a good site. But there is no line of sight to Whakaari because there are a lot of trees in the way. We haven't ruled it out but it is lower down the list as that line of sight is quite important," Hamill said.
In February last year, the community board set aside $40,000 seed funding for an initial design concept which is now in a holding fund with Eastern Bay Community Foundation.
Takutaimoana Harewira, who created the memorial statue placed on Whakaari-White Island in the aftermath of the disaster, and Brendon Law of Law Creative were selected to create the design concept. This was presented to the Whakaari Whanau at the five-year anniversary of the eruption last December for their approval.
A comprehensive fun-raising campaign was planned for the memorial. This year's Inman-Marshall fundraising events in Ōhope generated $90,000.
It was hoped that central government would provide a significant percentage of the funds required from its Memorials of National Significance fund and there was a range of philanthropic funders the group planned to apply to as well as groups and individuals who had expressed a desire to donate.
The final cost of the project would be determined by the site selected.
Potential council support included support for funding applications, staff awareness around any eventual planning consent process and incorporation of site maintenance into council work programme, potentially paid for by invested funds.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
