Auckland mayor dismisses Gulf Island plan as Blake memorial

12.00pm


Auckland Mayor John Banks today dismissed a suggestion that Kaikoura Island in the Hauraki Gulf should be bought as a memorial to Sir Peter Blake, saying no one would go there.

Auckland City Council is contributing $2 million to a planned $10 million permanent exhibition honouring Sir Peter at the National Maritime Museum on the Auckland waterfront.

The plan, a partnership between the maritime museum and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa in Wellington, includes housing America's Cup-winning yacht Black Magic (NZL32) in a glass case.

The Government has committed $2.5 million to the exhibition, with the $5.5 million balance to be raised through private sources.

However, after voicing support at the plan's unveiling last month, Sir Peter's brother, Tony, said yesterday that disparaging remarks about a "glass coffin" no longer made it palatable.

His comments came as a TV One-Colmar Brunton poll revealed that only 16 per cent backed the glass-case proposal.

Instead, 72 per cent supported the purchase and renaming of Kaikoura Island, and making it a reserve.

Mr Banks said he was disappointed to learn that the Blake family no longer liked the museums' proposal, which also included interactive displays outlining Sir Peter's life.

"The family has been consulted at every step of the way," he said.

"It is now sad to learn that, as a result of publicity, they are getting a bit of a shake at the knees and are now nervous about it."

Mr Banks said the family's concerns had to be taken into account, and if needed "we could dial the whole proposition back and do something on a lesser scale".

However, he said "it's a long bow to draw" to go from an exhibition telling the story of Sir Peter's life to "some island 3-1/2 hours out and adjacent to Coromandel".

Few people would want to travel the distance needed "to see some goats".

"If the Government and rich boys around the traps want to buy Kaikoura Island, let them buy it," Mr Banks said.

"No one would be much interested in it after this whole furore has gone."

He added: "No one is going to Rangitoto Island today and that's 15 minutes from downtown Auckland."

If he committed any ratepayers' funds to the purchase of Kaikoura Island, it would be "the kiss of death" to his re-election chances next year.

The island, the seventh-largest in the Hauraki Gulf, lies just off the west coast of Great Barrier Island.

- REUTERS