The dilapidated Palmerston Railway Station. PHOTO: BRENDON MCMAHON A resolution to unhappiness about the state of Palmerston’s town centre is in the wind. A meeting has been brokered between the main player and community representatives. Community irked by run-down state of commercial buildings "The past is the past and the future is the future," Bernie Sugrue, the Timaru-based owner of the dilapidated Palmerston Railway Station, said following a meeting he initiated last week. Mr Sugrue, who also owns other premises in Palmerston’s main street, Ronaldsay St, has been the focus of recent criticism about the state of his properties. He told the Oamaru Mail he was "there for the community" but believed he had been "wrongly accused" about his commitment to Palmerston. There were "two sides to every story", he said this week. "I’m not a big ogre. I’d love to actually think that we can support the community but we all need to support each other. It’s not a one-sided thing." Last month, Waihemo Community Board members expressed frustration at the "shocking" state of the town’s commercial area. This included views on the appearance of Ronaldsay St, in particular the now empty railway station, which in the past was home to a humming cafe business. At that stage, Mr Sugrue said he believed things could be progressed if community leaders were prepared to work with him. This week, he said he felt there had been progress in a "very positive" meeting with board members. "The people that were at the meeting, they were great, and we now need to work on something moving forward ... there’s been progress." Waihemo Community Board chairwoman Heather McGregor agreed it was a "positive meeting". And it had resulted in a plan of action. "We have both agreed to meet with the economic development team at the Waitaki District Council to look at ways for revitalising the town," she said. Marilyn’s Shop proprietor Marilyn Muir, a tenant of Mr Sugrue, this week said he was a "good landlord". She believed criticism had started within the past decade when Mr Sugrue painted over the original signage of the 105-year-old former Applebys family store building which he owns. Mrs Muir said comments on social media about Mr Sugrue had been "pretty nasty" and he did not deserve all the negative criticism. "He’s quite a nice guy. He’s a businessman, he’s doing his best ... He’s like a rock in a hard place. He seems to have gotten a really rough trot from people." Mrs Muir said she believed the Waitaki District Council bore some responsibility for the image Palmerston presented. She and other business owners had paid for hanging flower baskets to help improve the appearance of Ronaldsay St but more could be done. Mrs McGregor said there was a proposed budget in the council’s 2025-34 long-term plan to improve Palmerston’s streetscape. The long-term plan also included a budget for an overall Palmerston master plan. Mrs McGregor encouraged locals to make a formal submission on the long-term plan. She said people could also contact the Waihemo Community Board any time about issues. Council rural parks officer Jane Matchett said there was a small budget for beautifying Palmerston and a plan would be developed with the Waihemo Community Board. That would include seeking community feedback. Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said the Palmerston and Waihemo ward was an important part of the district. He said steps were being taken to help improve the town’s main street and to address Palmerston issues in a more timely way. This included a new locality manager for Waihemo under the council’s transformation restructure, "in an effort to ensure that work is getting done and contracts are complied with".
