The Rotary waterwheel at Te Ahu has been removed, but will be restored as a static reminder of what the Kaitaia Rotary Club has done for its community. Photo / Peter Jackson
The Rotary waterwheel at Te Ahu has been removed, but will be restored as a static reminder of what the Kaitaia Rotary Club has done for its community. Photo / Peter Jackson
A Far North Roading crew was at Te Ahu on Friday with a digger, removing the waterwheel erected by the now defunct Kaitaia Rotary Club in 1979 to mark its 25th anniversary, along with the ponds beneath it and its surrounds.
Te Ahu general manager Mark Osborne expected that thepublic reaction would not be universally positive - he had resisted giving notice of what was to happen in case someone chained themselves to it - but gave an assurance that the wheel would be restored, as a reminder of all that Rotary had done for the town.
"The waterwheel has been a challenge for some time," he said, "particularly in terms of keeping the ponds clean. The wheel itself needed regular maintenance to keep it turning; it was worked in a couple of years ago but it's buggered again now."
The Far North District Council had once been paying $180 a month just to keep the ponds clean, and Te Ahu staff had also done their best, without great success, and while various people had volunteered to keep them clean over the years they had tended to do it once then quietly disappeared.
The Te Ahu Charitable Trust had approached Rotary to discuss what could and should be done, and it had "generally" been agreed that the wheel should be mounted as a static display.
The whole area was now being tidied up, and it was likely that a barbecue table would be installed so people would be able to sit there and enjoy the surroundings.
"I know a lot of people love the waterwheel, but will not be lost or forgotten" Osborne added.
"Now they will have another way of enjoying that space."
It had not been an easy decision, and he was expecting some negative reaction, but the plaque would also be kept to continue acknowledging Rotary's contribution to Kaitaia.
(There is no sign yet of the Welcome to Kaitaia sign that Rotary erected at the north end of the town years ago, and was removed to make way for the North Rd roundabout, which the council has long insisted is safely in storage and will be re-erected one day. Editor).
