Cultural Heritage Reflected and Retained at Wairere Drive

23 JUNE 2011 For Immediate Release

The feats of an 18th century Ngati Koura chief who leapt across the Waikato River are reflected in a proverb featuring as part of the Wairere Drive four-laning project.

The proverb - Nga Tapuwae o Hotumauea (“The sacred footprints of Hotumauea of Ngati Koura who leapt across the Waikato River”) - is the first of several which will appear along the route, and has begun to take shape in the form of a concrete retaining wall. The first concrete panel for the wall, with an embedded proverb, was put in place this week, below Highland Drive at the northern end of Wairere Drive.

“Wairere Drive four-laning is the first major roading project in the city which has had included a public art element from the outset. I am delighted that the city is enhancing necessary infrastructure in this way,” said Councillor Daphne Bell, who sits on Hamilton City Council’s City Planning and Development Committee.

City Development Manager Andrew Parsons said the panels were the first in a series that would appear on the section of Wairere Drive between Pukete Road and Resolution Drive. Similar panels are being considered for the section between River Road and Resolution Drive.

The retaining wall will take about four weeks to complete, with the wording covering a span of 100 metres. Each panel is 6 metres wide and 2.1 metres tall, with wording in numerous styles between half a metre and 1.5 metres high.

The proverb wall is the first part of a more extensive public art element for the project, which will also include blue and yellow panels fixed to pedestrian handrails which will be part of “clip-on” additions to the Pukete Bridge, allowing the four-laning to be completed.

ENDS

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