Veterans back dawn service

The annual dawn parade at Ohinemutu is "irreplaceable".

Two Rotorua veterans believe the city's dawn parade is irreplaceable and want to talk to Mayor Steve Chadwick about the future of commemorating Anzac Day in the city.

Rotorua RSA president William McDonald and Te Arawa Returned Services League's Sam Smith both say the service is "tikanga Maori" and offers a place for veterans and others to reflect.

In yesterday's Rotorua Daily Post, Mrs Chadwick said it could be time to consider whether the city needs two services.

"We will have a closer look at the civic service next year," she said.

"We need an indoor service and will look hard into the future about whether we can sustain the two of them."

Around 4000 people attended the dawn service at Muruika Cemetery, Ohinemutu, while about 2500 attended the 9.30am civic service at the Energy Events Centre.

Mrs Chadwick said the time and cost of putting on both services would be discussed by the council's World War I committee.

She told the Rotorua Daily Post that the decision surrounding future services will be led by various people in the community through the committee.

"We've always got to rethink these things," she said.

"Rotorua isn't too small for two services but we have to look at the numbers. I'm very aware that many just can't get to the dawn parade, so they come out to the other service."

But Mr Smith said the dawn parade must continue.

"The dawn service, to me, is the crux of the whole thing," said Mr Smith.

"It brings back the troops, it gives you that silent time to reflect on all the memories. You can't change a dawn service - that's the only time we can play the bugle. The dawn service is a sacred moment."

He said he was proud to see people standing on Hospital Hill overlooking Ohinemutu on Saturday morning during the dawn parade.

Mr McDonald said the dawn service was "essentially our tikanga Maori".

"It's throwing the torch forward to the future generations," he said. "If we don't watch it, or look after it, what we've done will have been in vain."

He said the lower numbers at the second service were because people were "emotioned out".

"[The dawn parade] is a very moving service, maybe twice in one day is too much. Both services were magic but it's about commemoration, not celebration."