District Council says no to village vision | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

The fate of Taranaki Pioneer Village hangs in the balance after a special meeting of the Policy and Services Committee at council last Tuesday rejected the continuance of a feasibility study that was exploring the village's economic viability.

The findings of the first half of the study were presented to the Council at a Policy and Services Meeting held on February 27, with the report stating that the most feasible option for the village was to turn it into a garden cafe and have the village as a backdrop.

The decision to go ahead with the second stage of the study was referred to the special meeting to give councillors and village associates time to consider the findings of the study so far.

Along with councillors, members of the Village Board were present at the special meeting to give their views on the study.

Village president Barrie Smith spoke in hopes of the council agreeing to a partnership to ensure the future of the village. "We met as a board and a had a good general discussion. It was obvious from the report that a lot of work would need to be done to achieve an end result. If we don't take the next step, we feel that the effort that has gone in so far would be wasted. Some major work was recommended by the report and we would really hope that the council would consider some sort of partnership with the main focus being to protect the village. It is a valuable asset that needs to be protected for the community," said Mr Smith.

Mr Smith's opinions and the feasibility study's findings were argued for and against by several councillors. The main topic of discussion was the operation of the village as a commercial enterprise.

Councillor John Edwards posed the question 'How does the village board see us (council) as being a part of it'? He later stated that he felt some unrest about the report and was adamant that ratepayer money would not be invested in a commercial operation.

John Rowe, the council's representative on the village board was positive about the study and hoped it would continue.

"The views I am expressing are my own and are in no way influenced by my position on the board.

I am in favour of the idea suggested by the report. The development would be beneficial to the district and to the village. I strongly suggest the next stage of funding goes ahead."

Mayor Brian Jeffares also had some serious reservations about the report and more than once expressed his opinion that a garden cafe would deter from the fundamental purpose of the village; to protect items of historical significance.

"The report had some great creative ideas that would sustain the village down the track, but the current ideals of the village would be cocooned in a commercial venture. People would be visiting it as a commercial entity to have a coffee, not to take part in important historical lessons. It would basically condemn three decades of work and I don't think I can support it in my position as a councillor," he said.

Councillor Neil Volzke tabled an interesting hypothetical situation, stating that if the area was a green field and council was approached by people who wanted to build a cafe there, council would not be obligated to help.

"I can't see a way to justify ratepayer dollars going to a direct commercial venture," said Mr Volzke.

Business analyst Tony Watts who headed the team who researched the study stood to defend it findings. "The report stated that council would not have to put in capital, it was that they would support the village in a partnership in some way. The form was not suggested and that should be up for debate between the council and the village board. The village needs a leg-up to go to the next phase. Once it was functioning it would be self-sustainable," he said.

Despite opinion and argument being thrown around the chambers for more than an hour the minds of councillors not in favour of the study were unchanged while councillors John Rowe and Roger Hignett, stood firm in their opinion that the study should go ahead. In a landslide majority vote, it was recommended that it was not appropriate for council to further the study with the final decision to be ratified at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held yesterday.

The recommendation was passed without further discussion at the ordinary meeting leaving the future of Pioneer Village out of council's hands and the board having to find new avenues to secure the existence of one of central Taranaki's historical icons.