Suffrage memorial to stay - Mayor

The Khartoum Place memorial lies between Lorne St and Kitchener St, where the Auckland Art Gallery is located. Photo / Dean Purcell

The suffrage centenary memorial will stay at its present site in central Auckland, says Mayor Len Brown.

But members of the arts fraternity remain determined to move it.

Mr Brown has followed up a commitment to the National Council of Women on the election hustings, where he signed a petition to protect the "national treasure for future generations" in Khartoum Place.

"The memorial will remain in place. We are not making any changes to the memorial."

But Mr Brown said he was keen to look at opening up the west-facing Khartoum Place to let more sunlight in and provide more retail and commercial activity to make it a greater social hub.

The commitment to retain the memorial - unveiled in 1993 by Irish President Mary Robinson and Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard - is part of Mr Brown's "100 projects in 100 days" programme.

National Council of Women president Elizabeth Bang was delighted with the decision after two attempts to move the memorial.

The first attempt, in 2006, failed when several prominent dames protested. Subsequently Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard intervened against a plan by officials.

The National Council of Women believes the memorial, made up of 2000 tiles and an accompanying water feature, could be irreparably damaged if moved to another site.

Members of the arts fraternity disagree and lobbied the previous Auckland City council to resite the memorial in Auckland to open up the view, with a staircase from Lorne St to the $113 million Auckland Art Gallery upgrade in Kitchener St.

Trish Clark, who headed the former Auckland City advisory panel for public art, said the memorial could be safely moved to an alternative site set within a white camellia garden.

Before women got the vote in 1893 they gave white camellias to MPs who supported their cause.

She pointed to the successful relocation after seven vexed years of sculptor Terry Stringer's Mountain Fountain from Aotea Square to the Anglican Cathedral forecourt in Parnell.

Ms Clark said the arts fraternity had a site in mind - which she would not divulge - which she hoped to put to the National Council of Women.

"Such a move would only strengthen the memorial to those brave pioneering suffragists who accomplished their worldwide breakthrough," she said.

Elizabeth Bang said the council remained committed to keeping the memorial in Khartoum Place but would keep an open mindon moving it.

Any consideration would be on "absolute proof" that the tiles would not be damaged, she said.

Private art gallery owner Gary Langsford said it would be a tragedy to keep the memorial in Khartoum Place.

"Why any city would build what will effectively be a $350 million facility [the Auckland Art Gallery and New Gallery] and then have an impossible access to that facility is beyond me."

Mr Langsford said the staircase did not work for the volume of people using the art gallery, and he was disappointed at Mr Brown for not speaking to all the parties before deciding.

MEMORIAL

* 2000-tile memorial unveiled in 1993.

* A 2006 bid to move the memorial failed.

* Advocates of moving memorial say it restricts access to the upgraded Auckland Art Gallery.

* National Council of Women has open mind on moving it if it can be proved the tiles won't be damaged.