Bernie Sugrue, the Timaru-based owner of the deteriorating Palmerston Railway Station, convened the meeting last week. Mr Sugrue, who also owns several properties in Palmerston’s main street, Ronaldsay St, has been at the centre of recent criticism over the condition of his buildings. However, he maintained he was "there for the community" and felt he had been unfairly criticised over his commitment to Palmerston.
"There are two sides to every story," Mr Sugrue told the ODT.
"I’m not a big ogre. I’d love to think that we can support the community, but we all need to support each other. It’s not a one-sided thing."
Recent frustration from Waihemo Community Board members has been directed at the state of the town’s commercial area, particularly the appearance of Ronaldsay St and the now-empty Palmerston Railway Station, which was once home to a thriving cafe.
While Mr Sugrue acknowledged these concerns, he previously expressed hope progress could be made if community leaders were willing to collaborate. This week, he expressed optimism after what he described as a "very positive" meeting with the community board.
"The people at the meeting were great, and now we need to work on something moving forward ... There’s been progress."
Waihemo Community Board chairwoman Heather McGregor agreed the meeting had been productive and had resulted in a concrete plan of action.
"We have both agreed to meet with the economic development team at the Waitaki District Council to look at ways to revitalise the town," she said.
Marilyn Muir, owner of Marilyn’s Shop and a tenant of Mr Sugrue, praised him as a "good landlord" and expressed disappointment over the negative social media comments directed at him. Mrs Muir said the criticism began about a decade ago when Mr Sugrue painted over the original signage of the historic Applebys family store he owned.
"The comments on social media have been pretty nasty," Muir said.
"He doesn’t deserve all the negative criticism," she said.
"He’s a businessman doing his best ... He seems to have gotten a really rough trot from people."
She also pointed out that local business owners had taken steps to improve the appearance of Ronaldsay St by self-funding hanging flower baskets but emphasised more could be done. She placed some responsibility on the Waitaki District Council for Palmerston’s image.
"We’ve tried to help, but more is needed," she said.
Mrs McGregor added that the Waitaki District Council’s proposed 2025-34 long-term plan included a budget to improve Palmerston’s streetscape, as well as a broader Palmerston master plan.
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher also stressed Palmerston’s importance within the district, acknowledging the concerns and saying steps were being taken to improve the main street and address issues more swiftly. One such step included appointing a new locality manager for Waihemo as part of the council’s transformation restructure, aiming to ensure tasks were completed and contracts adhered to.
