July 18, 2018
No mandate for Papatuanuku statue
The Auckland Council has tagged up to $1 million from its public art fund for the project, which was presented to council by Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei.
Mr Goff says the pou and an associated cultural centre would be a must visit for many tourists.
"I think it’s got huge potential. To have somethign that's iconic for Auckland, that is our version if you like of the Statue of Liberty or Christ the Redeemer at Rio De Janiero but tio make it Papatuānuku, the earth mother, that would be something that could be celebrated by all Aucklanders, obviously by mana whenua, and also by visitors from around the country and all around the world," he says.
But Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says any decision about erecting a grandiose statue on Bastion Point shouldn’t be one for Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei to make on its own.
The New Zealand First MP says he has been contacted by many people in Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi concerned at plans for a 50 metre statue of Papatuānuku.
"The erection of that statue ought not to take place until such a time as they have sought a mandate and they have been through a proper process with th
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