Panmure locals fear for the fate of an 'iconic' retro-style sign, which they say is important to their community identity.
Photo: RNZ / Mick Hall
An online petition, started just last week, has nearly 1000 signatures in an effort to reinstate the Panmure sign that was taken down in 2019 for road refurbishments.
For 25 years, a 15-metre tall space travel themed sign stood at the centre of the Panmure roundabout welcoming locals and visitors to the suburb.
The sign, which bears the suburb's name on seven turquoise-coloured discs, was created in 1994 by engineer John Fallon.
But in 2019, Auckland Transport removed the sign and had the roundabout demolished as part of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative.
While it was expected to return in some way, an engineer's report found it was damaged in removal and now the sign is lying at an Auckland Council depot gathering cobwebs.
Panmure Community Action Group secretary Keith Sharp argued that the town sign was iconic 'Kiwiana' and should be repaired and reinstated.
"There's lots of town signs which some people might have thought were a bit kitsch or crass when they first went up, which have become part of the identity of the community. We're talking about things like the L&P bottle in Paeroa, the Ohakune carrot, and lots of things like that," Sharp said.
"For a lot of young people in the town, they've seen it all their lives and it was part of their history, part of their background and they were really attached to it."
Sharp said the number of signatures on the petition to return the sign showed the depth of feeling in Panmure.
"That is a huge number for a town like Panmure and we expect it to reach the thousand signature mark. The groundswell of support and anger against Auckland transport is definitely growing."
But in a statement, Auckland Transport spokesperson Natalie Polley said reinstating the sign was not recommended as it would be a public safety risk.
"The engineering company contracted to examine the sign said that although a new foundation appeared feasible, structurally the existing post doesn't comply with current standards. Retrofitting the existing sign to comply is expected to be very difficult and expensive."
In 2020, Auckland Transport offered the sign to the local board along with quarter of a million dollars, because they say it had the legal responsibility for place-making, but the board did not accept the offer.
While Auckland Transport said they were continuing discussions with the board, for now the sign's fate is still yet to be agreed.
