TV report leaves town 'gutted'

A TV3 news report on Mataura's redevelopment plans which focussed on rundown buildings and the "pungent smell" from the meatworks could have set revitalisation plans back 12 months, community leaders say.

Mataura Taskforce chairwoman Laurel Turnbull, a member of the Mataura Community Board, said she and her fellow board members were "gutted" when they watched the programme.

Mrs Turnbull said TV3 contacted town revitalisation authority David Wilson, of Oamaru-based firm Heritage Futures, who had been hired to investigate economic-development initiatives for the town.

"All of us [the taskforce and community board] thought this was to show people that we are planning for big things in Mataura," Mrs Turnbull said.

Reporter Elizabeth Hayes visited the town with a film crew and outlined the plans for the revitalisation of the town.

However, Mrs Turnbull said while most of the voiceover was fine, the filming of the rundown buildings and a statement about the smell from the meat-processing plant were particularly damaging for the town's reputation and the morale of the community, who had put considerable effort into working together to form a plan to revitalise the town.

"For the past 12 months or more the Mataura Taskforce have been working for the community to turn things in Mataura around and make it a place that people can be proud of," Mrs Turnbull said.

"I am appalled that they [TV3] would do this and I ask why, as there was no reason for what I and others see as such a negative report," she said.

In the news segment, Ms Hayes said Mr Wilson would have his work cut out for him in Mataura, as "most of the shops in the main street are empty, run-down houses are everywhere and the old paper mill lies idle".

"The busiest part of town is the local meatworks. They employ around 1000 staff - but it is a double-edged sword - the pungent smell which comes out of the factory is enough to drive anyone out of town," Ms Hayes said in the report.

Yesterday, Ms Hayes said the focus of the story was to show what the town was like at present and to talk about the revitalisation plans.

In order to illustrate the story it was necessary to show what needed improving, she said.

The shops were empty in Bridge St and she had interviewed Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks to get his side of the story, she said.

Ms Hayes said she had been through Mataura on several occasions before filming the segment but had not smelt the odour from the Alliance Group plant as strongly before.