Sea change in views on Sir Peter Blake tribute

Sir Peter Blake

New plans for a Sir Peter Blake memorial at the National Maritime Museum on the Auckland waterfront are gaining public support, and backing within the Auckland City Council to recommit $2 million towards the project.

Public feedback to the Herald has welcomed the revised plans by the maritime museum and Wellington's Te Papa, which no longer include the controversial ship-in-a-bottle glass building on the Princes Wharf side of the museum.

"Those with good sense and taste are getting close to giving a memorial to Sir Peter Blake the green light," said Glenda Moore, of Greenhithe. "And what an excellent memorial - sensible, local, practical and educational. Everything Sir Peter was."

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard and finance committee chairman Vern Walsh have also strongly supported a scaled-down memorial featuring the America's Cup-winning yacht, Black Magic, surrounded by an interactive exhibition over three levels at the museum.

The new design will cost $8 million, compared to $10 million for the proposal three years ago, which drew a lukewarm response from Aucklanders and sparked a fierce debate about how best to honour the slain sailor.

Mr Hubbard is confident the council will recommit $2 million to the project at a budget meeting on June 22. The council pledged $2 million in 2003 but officers withdrew the funding in 2004 when the project went into limbo.

For a $2 million council investment the city was gaining an $8 million facility and, besides, "I'd hang my head in shame if Auckland turned it down and it ended up in Wellington", Mr Hubbard said.

The Government has given $2.5 million to the project. Support from the council would leave the museum having to find $3.5 million in sponsorship.

Mr Hubbard was uncertain at this stage whether ratepayers would be consulted on the expenditure, saying he wanted to gauge public reaction to the announcement.

"The glass box was very controversial and divided opinion quite profoundly. This is a much safer option," he said.

In 2003, the seven City Vision, Labour and Team Auckland councillors demanded public consultation.

Te Papa spokesman Paul Brewer said detailed images of the new plans would be released this week. They would show the roof of the Hall of Yachting being raised to accommodate the mast of Black Magic, or NZL32, and the Princes Wharf side of the museum pushed out at the northern end and largely wrapped in coloured translucent panels.

Derek Nolan, chairman of the museum's project committee, said the new plans would not add significantly to the museum's running costs because Black Magic and the exhibition were being housed in the existing building.

"We will pick that up [additional running costs] as part of our normal operating costs. We see that as being offset by additional revenue from the attraction of [extra] visitors."

Mr Walsh supported the 2003 decision to give $2 million to the project but not a penny more in running costs.

The council is already the major funder of the museum and will make a grant of $725,000 this year.

Under an agreement with Te Papa, which was given Black Magic by Team New Zealand in 2001, Te Papa will pay for the maintenance of the 23m yacht.