Tauranga City Council decides Marine Parade memorial seat established by Joy Rudsits in son’s honour will stay

Joy Rudsits, 97, sitting on her son's memorial seat. Photo / Alex Cairns

A 97-year-old woman’s plea not to remove a Mount Maunganui memorial seat for her son, with his ashes buried beneath, has been heard.

Joy Rudsits was told by Tauranga City Council there were plans to remove the ocean-view seat and ashes to make way for a new boardwalk on Marine Parade.

In a story published by the Bay of Plenty Times on Wednesday, she said she would fight the council proposal to move the seat, which overlooked a spot where her son Kim Rudsits once rescued someone. He died in 2005 after a brain tumour and she paid $2000 to have the memorial seat established the following year, burying some of his ashes underneath.

“I’m not ashamed of what I’m doing. I’m fighting for my son,” she said.

She said she believed there was plenty of room on either side of the seat and could not understand why it had to be “disturbed”.

The council said it was working with the boardwalk design team to find a solution after meeting with Rudsits.

Tonight, the council confirmed to the Bay of Plenty Times the seat would stay.

A council spokesman said they were unable to comment further at this stage.