Former New Plymouth mayor David Lean remembered as a 'visonary'
Former New Plymouth mayor David Lean - seen here at the opening of the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1984 - has died aged 76.
Photo:
Taranaki Daily News
Former New Plymouth mayor David "Daisy" Lean is being remembered as a "visionary" who injected a youthful energy into the role.
The 76-year-old, who died earlier this week, was one of the country's youngest ever mayors when elected in 1980 - at just 32 years of age.
He wore the mayoral chains until 1992.
Lean has been credited with halting the pumping of New Plymouth's untreated wastewater into the Tasman Sea and securing railway land critical to the city's celebrated Coastal Walkway among other achievements, including the construction of the Todd Aquatic Centre and TSB Stadium.
Former New Plymouth mayor David Lean in his mayoral robe.
Photo:
Supplied
Peter Tennent - who was mayor between 2001 and 2010 - had an abiding memory of Lean's ascent to the mayoralty in 1980.
"I remember the Oakura Beach Carnival the previous year when Denny Sutherland was mayor, he wore a three-piece suit to present the sash to winner of the Miss Taranaki beach resorts competition.
"The following year, we had a new young mayor by the name of David Lean and he was wearing a pair of speedos when he jumped up on stage and made the presentation to the winner."
Tennent said Lean brought a new energy and focus to the role.
"He was an awfully nice guy, supportive of me and others who've been privileged enough to represent this community and my heart goes out to his wife Janet and all of the family. They've lost a a wonderful family man."
Lean had been a huge contributor to New Plymouth, he said.
"He was man of vision, a man who believed that it was not appropriate that we pushed our wastewater straight into the ocean. That it was treated, it was a big issue when he was elected an awful lot of money, but I've got to say none of us would even think of dumping raw sewage into the ocean now."
Kinsley Sampson was chief executive during David Lean's mayoralty and his right hand man.
David Lean at the opening of the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1984 with his wife Janet.
Photo:
Taranaki Daily News
He remembered the young mayor famously drinking a glass of water from the wastewater treatment plant once it was commissioned.
The stunt had a point.
"There is still some argument about it, but what he drank was water that had been through the carousel plant and then before it went to the sea it was chlorinated so it was perfectly safe.
"But what he had demonstrated was that we were now releasing germ-free water to the Tasman Sea via our outfall."
Sampson said the Coastal Walkway was just a dream when Lean came to office.
"But the New Zealand Railways decided to shift their marshalling yards and railway station from the where the wind wand is now and David was determined that we would buy that land because he wanted to turn the city to the sea again and create Puke Ariki Landing, the area where the wind wand is and the port to Waiwhakaiho River walkway."
There were tough times too.
In 1995, Lean was assaulted outside a restaurant he and wife Janet established after he lost the mayoralty.
Sampson said it was a dark day.
"In closing one evening, there was some unpleasant young men and it ended up in David being assaulted and he was hurt very, very badly and suffered brain damage which amongst other things affected his sense of taste and smell, but yeah ,that was pretty awful."
But it did not end Lean's public service.
David Lean in recent years.
Photo:
SUPPLIED / ANDY JACKSON
He was the region's Civil Defence controller for 35 years, inaugural chair of Sport Taranaki, a long-time district health board member and still a current regional councillor after almost three decades on council.
Taranaki Regional Council chairman Craig Williamson - who was to speak at Lean's funeral - said service was in his blood.
"He just wanted to make a difference and he wanted to give back. He was also involved outside of politics with other organisations that are for the betterment of the community too. It was just his thing from way back in the day until now. He was a champion and a good friend and a good bloke. He'll be missed."
A celebration of David Lean's life was to be held at Butlers Reef in Ōākura on Thursday.
He was survived by this wife Janet, children Kirsten, Brooke, Greer and Kent, and seven grandchildren.
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