CHANGING TACK: Whangarei District councillor Brian McLachlan, standing, has defended voting against the controversial Hundertwasser Arts Centre on Wednesday after earlier appearing to back the plan. PHOTO/MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM
CHANGING TACK: Whangarei District councillor Brian McLachlan, standing, has defended voting against the controversial Hundertwasser Arts Centre on Wednesday after earlier appearing to back the plan. PHOTO/MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM
Whangarei District Councillor Brian McLachlan is defending himself for voting against the Hundertwasser Arts Centre after previously seeming to back it, saying it did not have the clear majority support it needed from the public.
Cr McLachlan has been accused of doing a 'flip flop' after he was quoted onradio ahead of Wednesday's meeting that rejected HAC, saying he supported the project.
When it was put to the vote after more than two hours of debate on Wednesday, Crs Phil Halse, Stu Bell, Shelley Deeming, Susie Bretherton, McLachlan, Greg Martin, Sue Glen and Tricia Cutforth voted for the motion to can the project, while Crs Sharon Morgan, John Williamson, Cherry Hermon, Crichton Christie, Greg Innes and Mayor Sheryl Mai voted against.
Cr McLachlan said he felt the project just did not have enough community, or councillor, support to proceed so he voted to drop the plan.
"In the run-up to last year's election I said I wasn't prepared to go ahead with the Hundertwasser Art Centre if it didn't have public support," he said.
"I was happy to give the HAC supporters time to win over the majority of the public but that hadn't happened, and there was no collective will to delay the decision any longer."
Cr McLachlan said after Wednesday's meeting his first thought was to "find my trusty jandals, grab a sledgehammer and race down to the Town Basin to take out my frustrations by demolishing the old NRC building".
"Fortunately I realised in time that I needed to learn the lessons from the HAC: consult the public and win their approval before we actually take steps to do anything," he said.
"So what is the way forward? I think the Hihiaua Cultural Centre will deliver the arts and cultural outcomes the community are seeking.
"It will draw people to the Town Basin and provide the same, or better, benefits as the HAC."
He said it was clear from the process that Whangarei needed something to attract people to the city, but it was important the public was taken along with whatever project was chosen.
