Future of Noakes bus shelter murals unclear

The future of 65 murals on bus shelters throughout Dunedin, many painted by late Dunedin artist John Noakes, is up in the air.

Concerns have been raised about the deteriorating condition of the murals, but funding has dried up, and it is unclear who owns the 232 bus shelters in the city, and who is responsible for the art works on them.

Dunedin City Council staff were this week asked to determine ownership of the shelters, so the matter can be resolved.

A report to the council infrastructure services committee on Monday, in response to an annual plan submission from Keep Dunedin Beautiful, noted the works "generated great feeling in the communities".

The report, from transportation operations programme engineer Michael Harrison, said until 2004, the Otago Regional Council had provided up to $30,000 a year for murals, but the organisation had advised in recent years the cost for new murals, and maintenance of existing murals, was not its responsibility.

In the 2008-09 year, the costs were "rejected" by the ORC.

"Any work on murals since this time was at full cost to the Dunedin City Council."

Dunedin's bus services have been run by a variety of public and private agencies over the years, but the Otago Regional Council took control of the service when it was established in 1989.

The ORC funds the maintenance and replacement of Dunedin's bus shelters, with the DCC working as the agent that has done the work, using its contractors.

Noakes, who died in 2006, lived in Broad Bay and, during a period of 15 years, painted 65 colourful bus shelter murals, many of which remain, featuring subjects from aircraft to albatrosses, and sports and space themes.

Keep Dunedin Beautiful co-ordinator Darlene Thomson said some murals had been fixed up, and new ones painted with DCC money, but there had been no budget since work finished about 18 months ago.

"There are definitely ones that need to be completely redone, or painted out and started again," as well as some that needed a touch-up, she said.

Mr Harrison said yesterday the ORC understood the DCC owned the shelters, while the DCC understood the ORC owned them.

There was no dispute, but the issue had to be resolved.

It appeared the matter had "fallen through a hole".

DCC environment general manager Tony Avery said staff from the two local authorities would discuss the issue, and a report would go to DCC annual plan meetings in January.

At the committee meeting, he noted when budget cuts for the Noakes murals were brought up in the past, there had been a public outcry.

However, nobody was funding them now.

"That's the issue we've got; they are deteriorating."

- david.loughrey@odt.co.nz