Wainuiomata Memorial Garden Gets Ok

Wainuiomata will shortly have its much-awaited Garden of Remembrance ash interment facility after the Minister of Conservation gave the go-ahead for Council to develop the memorial garden near an entrance to the Rimutaka Forest Park.

The first stage of development of the facility will begin as soon as the works have been tendered and ground conditions allow.

"I am extremely pleased that the Memorial Garden will now proceed, and the people of Wainuiomata will now have a local choice in deciding where to inter the ash remains of their loved ones" said Mayor Terris.

"I hope that the people of Wainuiomata recognise the tremendous effort their local councillors, Deputy Mayor Ray Wallace and Cr Julie Sylvester, have put into ensuring this project was given a high priority around the Council table.

"I also acknowledge the support of many people in Wainuiomata for the project, particularly George Paramore who has been a very vocal supporter of this project right from the start," said Mayor Terris

Approval to lease around 4,200 square metres of land at the eastern end of Hine Road, Wainuiomata for the facility was granted by a delegate acting on the Conservation Minister's behalf.

Wellington conservator Allan Ross said the granting of the lease was the first step in a process that would see the Hutt City Council acquiring the land from the Crown.

Mayor Terris said that the Council intends to initiate this process immediately.

The five-year lease of the site is subject to conditions that take into account more than 400, mostly supportive, submissions to the application. They include retaining public access to the two tracks leading into the forest park.

A landscape plan is required to be submitted to the Department prior to the construction of the gardens.

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