“At the time the bridge was built, and in maintaining the bridge over the years, no consideration has been made to reflect iwi/hapū connection to the awa this bridge crosses.”
It officially opened in December 1970, replacing the Whanganui Town Bridge.
The report said to date, discussions about the project had only involved a small number of people from Te Rūnanga o Tupoho.
Tupoho’s art representative Cecilia Kumeroa said iwi had been planning to indigenise spaces in Whanganui for many years.
Both ends of the City Bridge - Victoria Avenue and Anzac Parade/Putiki Drive - were proposed as sites for waharoa, she said.
“This is part of a plan to have our art forms - carving, weaving, design, painting, contemporary sculpture - integrated into the Whanganui environment to give voice to mana whenua aspirations.
“All of the details of the plans for the waharoa and any other carvings or sculptural forms are still being planned.
“We have discussed this within our tribal council meetings for Te Rūnanga o Tupoho and we will not be releasing any plans until we have had wānanga amongst ourselves.
Kumeroa said the iwi was happy to work with the council and any Government agencies, such as Creative New Zealand and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage - Manatū Taonga, to achieve its visions.
“... We would like to see our city honour the commitments made to mana whenua when we were given Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) City of Design status.”
Kennedy’s report estimates the costs would be $100,000 in 2026/27 and $400,000 in 2027/28.
Maintenance is estimated at $5000 per annum.
The project, which will be considered for inclusion in the council’s2024-34 Long Term Plan (LTP), had the potential to be funded via external sources, the report said.
If external funding isn’t found, the project will be covered by rates.
Kumeroa said the waharoa were mentioned as being an integral part of a planned Streets for People project on lower Victoria Avenue.
The $450,000 initiative was scrapped at the last minute in 2021 following objections from some local business owners.
“Our cultural value is immeasurable,” Kumeroa said.
“Any artworks that we create will benefit this community. We are a unique culture in the world.
“A city that is proud of the heritage of mana whenua will attract more tourism. People visit a place to experience something different to what they have in their own countries.
“We are a mystery and a culture that they want to discover. Having our artworks in public places reinforces this concept.”
Kennedy’s report said a project-steering group made up of local iwi and council - led by iwi - would form in 2026 “to commence planning, design, consultation etc”.
The project had been discussed with iwi for years and would continue to be discussed if it wasn’t included in the LTP, it said.
Following community consultation and sign-off, the LTP will come into effect on July 1 this year.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multi-media journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
