Taipa's monument is about to move to a new location near the beach.
Taipa's monument is about to move to a new location near the beach.
The NZ Transport Agency is working with hapū designers to create a new monument in a more prominent location to reflect the history and culture of Taipa, in place of the work that was installed immediately west of the SH10 bridge in 1982.
"For many years the Taipa monument hasbeen a focal point, but the land on which it stands has slowly been chipped away by development, making it difficult for people to stand and appreciate it safely," a NZTA spokesperson said.
"The Taipa bridge replacement project has provided an opportunity to relocate the monument to a new site that will give it the peace and respect it deserves.
"The new two-lane bridge is being constructed immediately upriver of the existing bridge, and we need to realign a short section of SH10. The realignment affects the small piece of land between the carpark and SH10 where the monument sits, so it will be relocated to an area by the water where people can gather safely to appreciate the story it tells."
Matakairiri, Ngāti Tara and Ngāti Whata had gifted the top of the monument to Taipa Area School, which planned to incorporate it with three pou depicting tupuna from Ngāti Kahu, to be located on the beach side of the school field.
A student would document removal of the monument as part of a school project, which would help tell its story and "close the circle".
NZTA planned to begin removing the monument this week, a process that would necessitate temporarily removing several car parking spaces. Vehicle and pedestrian access to the shops would be maintained at all times.
