Christchurch City Council to vote on Erebus memorial

RNZ News

5 hours ago

Cracroft Reserve in Christchurch, which has been chosen by council staff as the preferred site for a National Erebus Memorial.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
Christchurch City Council will next week vote on whether to offer Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere as a potential site for the National Erebus Memorial.
It would remember the 257 people killed in an Air New Zealand plane crash in Antarctica in 1979.
Some of the victims' families have endured a decades long wait for a memorial and hope the emergence of a Christchurch site will eventually put an end to years of controversy and delay.
A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens. It was ultimately abandoned in 2023 after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer safe to build on the site.
Several sites have been considered in Christchurch, with the Ōtākaro Avon riverbank in the central city, the St James' Church grounds in Harewood and Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere shared with families as potential memorial sites last month.
Christchurch City Council will vote next week on whether to offer Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere as a potential site for a National Erebus Memorial.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
Council staff are now recommending Cracroft Reserve be formally offered to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as a potential location.
In July, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage said it was
seeking feedback from the Erebus families on each of the sites
and said no decisions had been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch, nor which of the potential sights may be selected.
In a report, council staff said while Auckland remained the preferred location for many family members, prolonged delays in securing a viable site there had led to consideration of alternative locations.
"Ōtautahi Christchurch, with its deep connections to Antarctic exploration and strong culture of remembrance, presents a respectful and practical alternative. Through the offer of a potential site, the council now has an opportunity to support a nationally significant project that honours the memory of those lost in New Zealand's worst civil disaster," the report said.
Christchurch City Council will vote next week on whether to offer Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere as a potential site for a National Erebus Memorial.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
Cracroft Reserve was the preferred site for a memorial after "robust investigation" involving the council, mana whenua and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, followed by independent site assessment.
The reserve on the Port Hills had multiple potential memorial locations, good accessibility and amenity and an excellent outlook, council staff said.
"Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere offers a peaceful, elevated setting with expansive views and strong cultural and experiential qualities," the report said.
Mana whenua had expressed support for the site, and no cultural sensitivities had been identified that would prevent a memorial being established.
Staff recommended the offer remain open for a 12-month period to enable further investigation, visits and engagement with family members.
The reserve on the Port Hills is said to have multiple potential memorial locations, good accessibility and amenity along with an excellent outlook over Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
Erebus National Memorial advocate and aviation chaplain Richard Waugh said Christchurch was the next logical place for a memorial if a site could not be found in Auckland.
"Especially because of it being the Antarctica gateway and the aircraft was due to land back in Christchurch, so in one sense it would be ironic and rather special if the memorial was to land here with the 257 names," he said.
"I know the families right back from 2016 when I first instigated the memorial said they wanted a site that was appealing and attractive, that was accessible and not in a cemetery."
Waugh said he was happy to be guided by the Christchurch City Council but wanted to see a memorial built as soon as possible.
"It's been a nine-year process to get to this point so I'd be rather disappointed if we're looking at another two or three years before the memorial is built," he said.
"It would be great to have it ready for November 2026 so I'd be a strong advocate from a pastoral perspective for the Erebus family members for urgency to be given once the site has been determined."
Christchurch is the world's main gateway to Antarctica, with around 100 flights departing from Christchurch Airport, each year.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
Phil Stewart, who lost his aunt Dawn Matthews in the disaster, said he would be happy if a memorial was built at the Christchurch reserve.
"I'm getting very frustrated and fed up that Auckland hadn't been able to come up with anything and I'm particularly annoyed that there's been zero political support, either from the council or from the government, instead of helping try to get this over the line," he said.
Stewart said he hadn't been to Cracroft Reserve recently but had been shown a presentation about the location and thought it met the requirements.
"Probably the top criterion for us was a place for quiet contemplation and I think that absolutely ticks the box for that so I'm very happy with that if it ended up there."
He said 45 years on, he really just wanted to see a memorial built.
"I was relatively young when this disaster happened and I'm in my 70s now, and there'll be a lot of people who have since passed away still waiting for a memorial, including my brother, he died a couple of years ago and never got to see a memorial for our aunt."
Christchurch City Council will vote on whether to recommend Cracroft Reserve as an official option for the Erebus Memorial at a meeting next Wednesday.
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