Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Gisborne Herald

‘Overkill’: Gisborne man upset at closure of garden

Gisborne Herald
28 Dec, 2023 06:14 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ray Gowland, who has worked with other volunteers over the years on the Turanga Gardens, thinks the district council has over-reacted in its decision to close the reserve. Picture by Liam Clayton

Ray Gowland, who has worked with other volunteers over the years on the Turanga Gardens, thinks the district council has over-reacted in its decision to close the reserve. Picture by Liam Clayton

The closure of a Gisborne garden to asbestos contamination has upset a volunteer who dedicated more than 20 years of his life to working the soil there.

In late October, Gisborne District Council closed the community-run Turanga Gardens indefinitely after asbestos was found in the area.

It marked the end of a 22-year volunteer project which rejuvenated an area adjacent to the former Cook Hospital.

The demolition of that building in 1988 ultimately caused the downfall of the natural space, after bad weather exposed waste deposits which had been buried in the area.

An independent report prepared in October said following heavy rain events earlier in the year  — including Cyclone Gabrielle — two areas of the gardens slipped and displaced soil, exposing the contents of the landfill beneath.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Asbestos-containing material along with demolition waste in exposed areas raised red flags for the site, and remediation would be required for continued use.

“Exposure of asbestos within walking tracks and pathways poses a significant risk to users of the site, including gardeners, mowers, maintenance workers and recreational users,” the report said.

“Based on this investigation, the entire Turanga Gardens site is considered highly likely to pose a risk to human health.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The news has come as a blow to 78-year-old Ray Gowland who played an integral role in both establishing and caring for the space.

Mr Gowland said he travelled extensively with his late wife and enjoyed visiting gardens around the world.

He hoped to create something similar for the people of Gisborne, and believed the closure was “overkill”.

“We’ve probably turned over every piece of soil in the area, and none of us have suffered from any symptoms,” Gowland said.

“We don’t do it for rewards and acknowledgements and payments or anything like that.

“We love gardening and we just love to get in there and create something.”

Local Democracy Reporting asked the council if the site should have been tested earlier due to its location on the landfill.

Council director liveable communities Michelle Frey said the gardens had not been subject to any formal monitoring programme because that was not required for sites with covered material.

“Material was exposed in parts of the gardens as a result of rain events. Council closed the gardens and commissioned a detailed site investigation of the site,” she said.

“The area remains closed while considerations are made around the future of the site, and the costs involved.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ms Frey said it was unlikely asbestos from the hospital buildings would have posed a risk to anyone walking through the gardens prior to closure.

But there was a potential risk to people who had worked near the source of contamination.

“However, even then, if asbestos was not exposed then there would have been a low risk.”

Prior to the gardens’ indefinite closure in October, the area had been closed following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Options for remediating the site were being investigated by the council, but it was anticipated to be an expensive undertaking.

Aside from the most recent issue, vandalism and plant poaching at the gardens have also made headlines over the years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Gisborne Herald

Noisy nights, potholes and damaged tyres: Rural community shares concerns over trucks on road

05 Jul 05:00 PM
Gisborne Herald

Kaiti resident optimistic about additional jobs with new KFC opening

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Gisborne Herald

Gisborne resident fights council over property red-stickered bach

04 Jul 05:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Noisy nights, potholes and damaged tyres: Rural community shares concerns over trucks on road

Noisy nights, potholes and damaged tyres: Rural community shares concerns over trucks on road

05 Jul 05:00 PM

A petition from residents highlights noise from 1.30am, speeding trucks and road damage.

Kaiti resident optimistic about additional jobs with new KFC opening

Kaiti resident optimistic about additional jobs with new KFC opening

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Gisborne resident fights council over property red-stickered bach

Gisborne resident fights council over property red-stickered bach

04 Jul 05:00 AM
Upston says MSD can help Tairāwhiti employers find staff

Upston says MSD can help Tairāwhiti employers find staff

04 Jul 01:16 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search