Clashes predicted as work on Erebus memorial set to begin
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
Opponents of a controversial memorial to the victims of the Mt Erebus disaster are refusing to back down, even as construction of the memorial is set to begin.
In February, protestors occupied the proposed memorial site in Auckland’s Dove-Myer Robinson Park, and they have prevented work from starting for over 200 days.
However, on Monday, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage confirmed construction would start shortly, and contractors placed notices around the park advising of this.
The ministry wouldn’t comment on what security measures it would take to prevent protestors interfering with the work, or how it would deal with the rāhui placed on the site by some kaumatua.
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**
But Waitematā Local Board member Sarah Trotman, who voted against the memorial and has communicated regularly with the protesters, predicted the situation would “get really ugly”.
“There’s a depth of feeling in the community about this. I think the ministry’s been arrogant – there’s no doubt about that in my mind.”
Ministry for Culture and Heritage deputy chief executive Tamsin Evans said all efforts had been made to allay concerns. The ministry was confident the project had widespread support, including from the majority of Erebus family members.
“Now is the time to avoid further upsetting delays for the families and proceed with the establishment of the memorial.”
The only change to the design of the 17m cantilevered walkway, Te Paerangi Ataata – Sky Song, has been to reduce one wall by approximately a metre, to avoid the root zone of a giant pōhutukawa on the site.
“Any further changes to the project at this point would potentially mean many years further delay, and would come at a significant cost for the Erebus family members, who have already waited more than 40 years for this memorial to be built,” Evans said.
Construction was expected to take seven to nine months, and be completed by July 2022.
Its cost has now grown to over $4 million.
The memorial commemorates the 257 people who died when an Air New Zealand DC10 crashed into Antarctica’s Mt Erebus on a sightseeing flight in November 1979.
It was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2017, but has been beset by challenges, delays and bitter argument.
Opponents insist the memorial is on a former pa site, will damage the giant pōhutukawa, and will turn a place of joy into one of mourning. They also claim decisions to build the memorial in the park were flawed, and not supported by some Erebus families.
As well as erecting tents and picketing the site’s entrance, protestors presented a 12,000-strong petition at Parliament in May.
The memorial proposal is supported by the trust board of local hapū, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
However, it has been strongly opposed by influential Māori leader, Dame Naida Glavish.
Glavish has stated her absolute commitment to protect the giant pōhutukawa, and called on Ardern, who is also the minister responsible for memorials, to find an alternative solution.
“I’m prepared to go in front of the bulldozer – she’d better not be prepared to drive it. Absolutely, I will give my life for that rākau (tree).”
A post on the ‘Save Robbie’s Park’ Facebook page last night showed a photo of an already defaced construction sign at the site, alongside the message, “Be ready to act.”
However, one of those who has been at the forefront of opposition to the memorial, Steve Phillips, said it had always been a peaceful protest, aimed at protecting the site, “and we’ll hopefully be able to maintain that, whatever we’re faced with.
“We’re looking at all our options and meeting and discussing where we go from here. But we’ll continue to oppose the construction of the memorial in Dove-Myer Robinson Park.”
Epsom MP and ACT leader David Seymour said construction of the memorial was the right thing to happen.
“I think it’s time for us to be magnanimous as a community, and give those members or our community who lost people in Erebus, the opportunity to have a memorial, because the saga and scandal, all the way back to the actual incident, has gone on too long now.”
David Ling, who lost his mother, Alison, on Erebus, said news that construction was about to begin was a step forward.
“But as Maria Collins (wife of Erebus pilot Jim Collins) has very wisely said, the time to celebrate is not when they start on this, but when they finish. So I’m holding my breath, because there are some pretty crazy people there, and who knows what they are going to do.
“Hopes have been raised on a number of occasions, only to then be delayed and dashed, so it doesn’t make me feel supremely confident. I have fears there are going to be further attempts at disrupting it, whether it’s physical, or legal or whatever.
“This has been promised since 2017, and it was promised for 2019. It’s now 2021. And there have been some understandable delays, but some of these things are just unforgivable.”
Ling said every time the memorial was delayed, it poured more salt in the wounds that have never healed for the thousands of Erebus family members.
He hoped opponents would be gracious in accepting they had not been successful in preventing the memorial.
“And they’ve been anything but. But I’ll keep my fingers crossed that commonsense will prevail.”