Processing hundreds of Endeavour model submissions

Gisborne District Council has received more than 1200 public submissions on the controversial Endeavour models. A consultation process ended on Sunday and council staff are working their way through the submissions that will be made publicly available when a hearings report is completed. Gisborne Herald file picture

More than 1200 submissions on the controversial placement of models of James Cook's ship the Endeavour have been received and could be heard in public.

Gisborne District Council began a consultation process last month.

The process ended on Sunday and a Gisborne District Council spokeswoman this morning said staff had so far processed 518 hard copy or email submissions and 732 submissions received via Social Pinpoint.

“There are still more to process. The submissions will be publicly available when the hearings report is completed.

“Submitters have the opportunity to speak during the public hearings process. Dates for this are to be confirmed.”

The report will be included in the agenda for the council's hearings committee and will be released to the public two working days before the meeting.

“The hearings will be before all elected members, much like the LTP or annual plan hearing process.”

Following community feedback after a decision in May to reinstate the rebuilt models, councillors voted again in June to consult with the community about the models' future.

The two original Endeavour models, built from lightweight marine plywood, were installed in 1969 for the 200th anniversary of James Cook's landing at Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay.

The models were expected to be temporary but remained on poles in Gladstone Road at intersections with Peel and Grey streets until they were replaced in 1978 by models built by Gisborne Boys' High School students.

Those models were refurbished in 1999 and again in 2010 before being taken down in 2016 because of degradation.

The council has put $28,000 towards reinstating the models, which have a vocal proponent in former district councillor Malcolm MacLean.

Along with Martin Kibble, whose late father John helped restore the original models, Mr MacLean led a campaign to raise the $48,000 needed to get new aluminium models of the Endeavour built.

The new models, completed in September 2019, each weigh 200 kilograms and require new poles at a cost of about $30,000 to hold them.