Arch removal consultation

The Dunedin City Council will consult the public over plans to remove a 95-year-old Ravensbourne memorial.

But the Moller Park Memorial Arch could be gone sooner than expected if a planned structural assessment shows up signs of instability, council staff have indicated.

The warning came as councillors at yesterday's community and environment committee meeting decided to press ahead with public consultation on a plan to remove the arch.

A report by council acting policy and planning officer Lisa Wheeler recommended public consultation on options to remove the arch, which could be relocated or replaced with a smaller memorial nearby.

The arch was built in 1920 to honour former West Harbour mayor, councillor and Otago Harbour Board member Hagbarth Ernest Moller.

Removal and replacement of the arch was proposed by the Chalmers Community Board in June last year amid concerns it had become a road safety hazard.

Councillors at yesterday's meeting voted to endorse the plan, which would include recommendations from the Chalmers board on options for relocation and any opportunities for external funding.

Mrs Wheeler told yesterday's meeting another option could also be to replace the existing memorial with a new structure beside the West Harbour cycleway, closer to the harbour, in recognition of Mr Moller's links to it.

The council would also seek a structural assessment of the existing arch before Christmas, to check cracks found at the top of it, she said.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull questioned the wisdom of that approach, and the expense that came with it, if the intention was to demolish the arch anyway.

Mrs Wheeler said the arch's removal would need to be prioritised against other projects, but the work could be brought forward if the assessment found the structure was unsafe.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz

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