Latest news with #TaupōDistrictCouncil
1News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 1News
Jurassic-sized fuss over Taupō's new dinosaur sculpture
A nearly 10m-tall dinosaur sculpture sitting atop a large geometric rock is the latest attraction in Taupō, but not without controversy. The Taupō District Council contributed a one-off $100,000 grant towards the sculpture, which was made by the Taupō Sculpture Trust. But the grant has angered some residents, who are facing a rates increase of more than 8%. Taupō Mayor David Trewavas told Morning Report artwork always has the capacity to cause controversy. "We had sort of a dozen well-meaning artists and business people [who] came to us probably 15 years ago to say, 'Hey, let's put a bit of colour into the town, but we'll go away and raise half the money, and would you guys contribute?'" Trewavas acknowledged locals were facing a large rates rise, but the Taupō District Council committed to the project a number of years ago, and he hoped it would bring more people into town. Trewavas said he had already heard of people keen to visit Taupō to see the new sculpture. "A family has just rung from Masterton telling me they are coming up this weekend to have a look at it." Taupō had a reputation as a place that holds sporting events, with the Ironman and Supercars, and Trewavas said it was time to support the arts community too. "The poor old arts community, they haven't had much over the years to be fair, and this is our way of demonstrating to them that we support those guys as well. We are all about community partnerships and people getting involved." And as for the sculpture itself, Trewavas said it had "grown on him", and he shared the reasoning behind a dinosaur. "[Dinosaurs] used to roam around here. They were in the Mohaka River out on the Napier-Taupō Road." But ultimately, it was the artists who selected what to install in the town. "If there's one thing for sure, I'm not going to get the councillors to select the artwork."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jurassic snark: New Zealand dinosaur sculpture fuels debate
Some have called it an "eyesaur". Many more have described it as "fabulous". But one word Boom Boom, a seven-metre tall stainless steel dinosaur sculpture in New Zealand, could never be associated with is "boring". Just days after the sauropod statue was installed in Taupō Sculpture Park, in the scenic centre of New Zealand's North Island, Boom Boom has already prompted heated debate among locals. The artist - and the team that commissioned it - say that's exactly the point. The mirror-finish sculpture was commissioned by the Taupō Sculpture Trust and created by Slovenian-born artist Gregor Kregar. Kregar said that he wasn't "particularly surprised" by the furore that quickly surrounded his work. "Sculpture sometimes stops people from their everyday interactions with the world," he told the BBC from his home in Auckland. "It's really hard to hate a sculpture of a dinosaur." Still, public opinion on Boom Boom is split. "Fantastic! Getting people talking about art. Broadening the conversation," said one commenter on a social media post announcing Boom Boom's arrival. But another wrote: "Public investment of $100,000 from the local ratepayers, many of who would have rather seen the money spent elsewhere in the community." Funding for Boom Boom was finalised in 2018, before recent hikes in Taupō District Council's rate which is similar to a council tax. After several years of negotiations, the work was completed and installed in the park last week. Others still criticised the work as having no connection with Taupō, named New Zealand's most beautiful town in the 2023 Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards. But Kregar said the rock that the dinosaur stands on is inspired by the volcanic history of the area. Lake Taupō, from which the town takes its name, is a large caldera, a volcano that has collapsed in on itself. It last erupted around 1,800 years ago. Sauropods, the inspiration for Boom Boom, are one of a few species of dinosaurs that paleontologists say lived in New Zealand. They became extinct 66 million years ago, along with most other non-avian dinosaurs. Kregar says the spirited debate around the sculpture means Boom Boom could eventually win round "the haters". "You put the sculpture out there, there is reaction, people start falling in love with it, and then it becomes something that they start embracing, part of the local identity," he said. Kim Gillies, secretary of the Taupō Sculpture Trust, told the BBC that the decision to commission Boom Boom was not taken "lightly", but that it was chosen because "it would help put Taupō on the map". Gillies added that when it comes to the art, "safe is a bit boring, right?" No bones about it.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Taupō dinosaur sculpture Boom Boom creates a stir at Riverside Park
A lot were critical of the sculpture with people questioning the dinosaur's connection to Taupō and saying it was a 'waste of ratepayer money'. Amanda Maclaren described it as an 'Eyesaur', with Wendy Johnson commenting it looked 'tacky ... and ridiculous'. Maxine Hay commented: 'Good god!! And how much did THAT MONSTROSITY COST', while Lynette Clunie said it looked like 'a cheap foil party balloon' for kids. However, other people disagreed, saying it was 'cool'. Thea Davies commented: 'Love it, brought a smile to my face when I saw it earlier - can't wait to see what else gets added to the trail'. Kimberley Gillies agreed. 'He is fabulous! Well done Taupō Sculpture Trust.' Boom Boom was created by Auckland-based artist Gregor Kregar and is the 13th artwork of Taupō's sculpture trail, which starts on the lakefront near Rifle Range Rd, continues through the town and culminates at Riverside Park. The park will be transformed into a dedicated sculpture park to revive the space, with Boom Boom being the first of 21 artworks Taupō Sculpture Trust hopes to add to the park over the next decade. In Kregar's concept art document, he explained the inspiration behind the piece was Taupō's environment. 'Taupō is an extremely important geological site and has produced two of the world's largest eruptions. 'My work makes reference to this history and how it has shaped and influenced the area.' The rock base would echo 'the giant boulders that would have been ejected by the volcanic force of the Taupō eruptions ', while the Sauropod dinosaur would resonate 'with the pre-historic history of the location'. Kregar also said the style of the dinosaur was inspired by an inflatable toy to represent the town's standing as a 'playful holiday destination'. As part of the 2018-28 long-term plan, Taupō District Council agreed to give the trust a one-off grant of $100,000 towards a 'destination sculpture' provided the trust could raise the same amount. Talking to the Waikato Herald this week, Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said the arts community had waited a long time for support and deserved the grant. 'We are quick to support lots of sporting events, like the Ironman and Supercars, and no one says a thing ... Why can't the arts community have a go.' Trewavas wouldn't comment on what he thought of Boom Boom. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... It's certainly a bit out there, but art is meant to spark conversations. [Boom Boom] certainly does that.' Councillor John Williamson, who holds the council's Arts and Culture portfolio, agreed. '[The sculpture] created a lot of interest ... I personally have no objection to it.' Williamson said he didn't believe the sculpture was a waste of money and believed it would be a 'great asset' to the town. The sculpture park project was granted resource consent from the council in November 2023. The trust wanted to revive the park which they believed was 'under-utilised', apart from being 'phenomenally successful for events like the Summer Concert'. Within the next year, the trust expects to add two further sculptures. All sculptures are selected by the trust.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Proposed Average Rates Increase For Taupō District
Taupō district councillors have had some tough decisions to make to keep the rates figure at or near the 8.3 per cent forecast for the financial year beginning 1 July 2025. The final proposed average rates increase of 8.4 per cent that councillors discussed at the Taupō District Council meeting yesterday is 0.1 per cent higher than forecast in the Long-term Plan 2024-34 which was adopted on 30 September 2024. The 8.4 per cent figure is an average only and the actual amount of the rates increase will vary from property to property depending on where it is and what it is used for. Unplanned cost increases including the costs associated with central government's Local Water Done Well reforms and increases in the cost of insurance, finance costs, depreciation and committed contracts such as solid waste, security and cleaning services contributed over $2 million to Council's costs in the upcoming financial year. Mayor David Trewavas says this would have resulted in a rates increase of 10.2 per cent which would have been unacceptable to the community. Staff have responded by looking for savings and efficiencies, and delaying or slowing down projects to bring the figure back in line with the Long-term Plan projections. Mr Trewavas says in last year's Long-term Plan consultation, the community asked Council to focus on and deliver essential services. The budget reductions and project trade-offs being proposed will not materially impact Council's levels of service. They will though mean some planned additional activities and services such as reserve management plans, feature planting and landscaping projects, community hall wi-fi installation, demolition of aging buildings, some rural mowing and vegetation control and proactive tree management projects are now delayed until the following year. Mr Trewavas says that some council work set out in council's Long-term Plan will not be delivered in the upcoming year and this was the trade-off that had to be made to keep the rates increase at or near the forecast figure. The proposed rates increase will be formally confirmed by councillors at a meeting in late June.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
TDC Begins Consultation On Government Water Reforms
Government-led water Local Water Done Well reforms mean all New Zealand councils must work with their communities to decide the future of their water services. From today, Taupō District Council is asking for the community's input on the best option for its future water services delivery. Keeping water services as they are is not an option. The council has spent months reviewing its current water services and the different options the government has given for their future. Its options for water have been narrowed down to three – one preferred option and two alternatives. Based on Taupō District Council's current financial stability and the strength of its water services team, the proposed preferred option is to keep its water services for now and review in 2027. While this option would retain water services in-house, it includes significant changes to how council must manage and report on water services. There are also two alternative options. The first is to join six other councils to form Waikato Water, a regional multi-council owned water services entity. The second is to establish a single Taupō District Council-controlled organisation. Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor said that while there is still significant ongoing uncertainty in the water reform landscape, councillors thought it wise to take a cautious approach and wait for more clarity before making any major changes. 'Our proposed preferred option of keeping water services with council for now is the result of a thorough evaluation of key factors, including long-term financial stability, service quality, governance, and potential improvements,' Mr Taylor said. 'Under this option we would also explore joining Waikato Water for some shared services, such as procurement but we would keep control of our water services and our water assets. 'No final decision has been made, and we want feedback and input from the community. We need to know what the community priorities are for the future of our water services so we can take those into account as we make this significant decision.' Mr Taylor said choosing one option at this time doesn't rule out being able to change to another option later. 'By participating in the initial design phase of Waikato Water, Council has ensured that transitioning to a regional entity remains a viable option if it proves best for ratepayers in the future. 'Whatever option we ultimately end up with, you can still expect to receive the same water services. If you're connected to council water supplies, you'll still get water from the tap and your wastewater will still be taken away, no matter who is managing it.' Regardless of the model chosen, water service costs are expected to rise due to Government-imposed factors such as economic regulation and regulatory compliance plus increasing infrastructure costs, which will require ongoing investment. 'Our goal is to look after our critical water assets, keep water supplies safe and make a decision that is right for our communities, well into the future,' Mr Taylor says. 'So, this decision on our water services is a huge one. We need to think carefully and make the right choice for our community – not just for today and tomorrow, but for generations to come.' The Our Water Our Future consultation runs until 4.30pm on Thursday 29 May. People can learn more and make a submission at
