Don Driver Mural (time to make a stand)

Peter from Bell Block

We, the ratepayers of New Plymouth, own our airport. Many of us were opposed to the expensive $29 m upgrade, but wanted a far more practical fit for purpose entry point for visitors; reasoned submissions and a 600 person survey were totally ignored by Councillors who felt that they could rubber stamp the recommendation of their officers.
Too often we just accept that we can't fight the monster that is Liardet Towers, untrue, as the recent proposal to sell off part of Fitzroy Golf club proved. Whilst I was not opposed to the idea and complimented the Mayor for thinking outside the box, the outrage and democracy won.
We do have a voice.
It is no different now with the airport and the Don Driver mural. The report in the TDN yesterday (20th September), under the heading of the airport's profit, slipped in that this hugely symbolic work of art would not be a part of the terminal, but will be put in storage till they hope we will forget about it, sorry, decide what to do with it.
One option is to put it in an aircraft viewing area; Hello, the only people using this are likely to be locals who know all about Kingsford-Smith's epic voyage and the commission to Don Driver to produce the mural.
This option also begs the question of how much this extra facility will cost; you can bet your last cent that it was not budgeted for.
How dare the board of directors of the airport, none of whom, as far as I am aware, have any connection with the city, treat us in such a cavalier manner!
The outrage when this was first announced was totally justified.
There was never any intention of incorporating Driver's mural in the new airport; they had a blank canvas and a building three times the size, so telling us there is no room was and is a lie, so the question is do we feel strongly enough to act.
Mayor Holdom made a commitment at the time to ensure that the mural would be displayed prominently (hopefully for visitors to see our diverse culture and history), so I am calling on him to act, or was this another piece of spin from his ever increasing PR team.
Neil, you are not the only one who loves this place.
I propose compiling a petition, which will be distributed around the district, demanding that the Board, find a place of prominence for this piece of our history, and not just let it go dusty in a storage unit or be displayed in a viewing area well away from where it should be.
It if means standing outside the airport asking for signatures I will. I hope I have your support and if you want to help let me know by reply.
This is a huge part of our history, and this is our City, WE WANT IT BACK.