Memorial unveiled for former ECan chairperson

Kaikōura has paid tribute to a regional councillor who left his mark on the town with his "true leadership" and willingness to help.

A memorial seat was unveiled on the Kaikōura waterfront on Wednesday for former Environment Canterbury chairperson David Bedford, who died in 2018.

Mr Bedford’s widow Sandra expressed her ‘‘heartfelt gratitude’’ for the acknowledgement of her late husband’s service.

‘‘He would come home from Kaikōura brimming with excitement about all these projects the committee was working on.’’

Mr Bedford was appointed as an Environment Canterbury commissioner in 2010, following the sacking of the elected council by the then Environment Minister Nick Smith.

He served as the council appointee on both the Kaikōura and Hurunui-Waiau Water Zone Committees.

The memorial seat was an initiative of the Kaikōura Zone Committee, which turned out in force with Environment Canterbury and Kaikōura district councillors and staff to pay tribute to Mr Bedford’s contribution from the committee’s  inception in 2011 until 2017.

‘‘Our time with David was relatively brief,’’ Kaikōura Zone Committee chairperson Ted Howard.

‘‘David made a difference. He displayed true leadership. He made a difference to the people he met and to this place.

‘‘When the earthquake happened [in November 2016], he was the first on the phone asking what we needed.’’

Gina Solomon has served on the committee since its inception, first as a Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura representative and now as a community representative.

‘‘David gave our group the courage and confidence to get things done.

‘‘He understood what we were trying to explain about being Māori.’’

Local farmer Tony Blunt, who has been on the committee since 2011, created the seat from recycled materials including timber from totara trees on Banks Peninsula and two old steel wheels, which ‘‘may well have been made in Bedford in England’’.

He said Mr Bedford was instrumental in helping the early committee, which included farmers, conservationists and mana whenua, to work together.

‘‘We were absolutely the luckiest water zone. What he did for our committee will never be forgotten.’’

Former Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee chairperson John Faulkner said Mr Bedford helped his committee to have ‘‘some very hard conversations’’.

Environment Canterbury councillor Tutehounuku Korako paid tribute to Mr Bedford’s mahi in helping create ‘‘the most progressive regional council, particularly in its relationship with mana whenua.’’

Mr Bedford served as a commissioner and later an appointed councillor from 2010 until 2017, when he retired due to ill-health.

He was Environment Canterbury chairperson from 2016 to 2017.

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.