Hi all, it seemed it would be useful to give a bit more detail on where things stand.

This has been a frustrating year, with much energy going into pursuing people who were very difficult to pin down, and/or forgetful of the information we had already supplied.

Sadly we failed to find a trust or incorporated society willing to take us under their wing for purposes of obtaining grants from the likes of the Otago Trust of Lotteries, and haven’t been keen to take up the option of establishing a new trust for this purpose. (Any volunteers to be trustees if we did, finally, opt for this?)

However the DCC Heritage Fund WILL fund private projects like ours, and has finally come to the party with a $5440 grant towards scoping the work required, plus the inference of more to come.

Also good news is that Lawrie Forbes of Zeal Steel is finally free of commitments and very keen to do the work. He selected a section on Alva Street that will test all elements the work (big post, panels, other posts and two new gateways, and quoted $4,681.25 for the fence and $6,198.75 for the gates, i.e. $10,880.00 plus GST

Both Lawrie and another potential contractor Frank Scurr ( who has looked at the gates under the arch and adjacent fence as a sub-project) report that the exact requirements of the work can’t be known beforehand, which is why the scoping project will be so valuable. We can’t know in advance for example whether it’s less expensive to repurpose panels as gates thank making entirely new ones.

Meantime, DCC Heritage planner Andrea Farminer has been trying to organise the new manager of Heritage NZ Denise Anderson into a round-table discussion with all interested parties. Denise has proved very elusive, and possibly we should now wait until Zeal Steel has done the scoping work. Note that Heritage NZ has signed off on Tim’s plan, but retains a controlling interest in the work, as does the DCC.

The steering group is very clear that the priority of work (and the UCOL budget of $25,000) should be getting functional gateway entrances to all units, especially those on High Street, where at least one owner of a one-person unit has said she would feel insecure without an actual gate.

Consequently, just how we should stage all this will depend on input from Zeal Steel after the scoping project, and ‘advice' from the DCC and Heritage NZ.

The memorial arch, the gates and five metres of fence could be an entirely separate project, for which community funding should be sought. The work has no functional necessity— apart from aesthetics — and it’s very reasonable to appeal for public funds. There’s historical precedent. But we will have to lead it, and be imaginative in how we ask for money from the likes of neighbours and ex-pupils.