The proposed site of the memorial - the Cracroft Reserve in Christchurch. Photo: Supplied
The daughter of one of the victims of the Erebus disaster is disgusted that a memorial will be built in Christchurch.
It has been 46 years since the Air New Zealand scenic flight crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica, killing 237 passengers and 20 crew.
After decades of back and forth, it's been announced a memorial will be erected at Cracroft Reserve in Christchurch.
- Listen to RNZ's White Silence, the story of how Erebus happened
Simone Bennett's father, David, was a crew member on board the flight. She was just 11 when she lost him.
She is furious that the memorial will be so far away, despite the majority of families living in Auckland.
"[I'm] devastated. I not only speak for myself, but many other families ... we feel that we have been rail-roaded, been told this is what's happening and once again, we do not matter," Simone Bennett said.
She told Morning Report the majority of the families do not want the memorial in Christchurch.
"My father was a strong unionist. I'm speaking to you because I loved my father so much and he was an amazing man. He would fight for this, I know he would. Fighting for what's right," she said.
"We shouldn't be fighting, we should be treated with respect and love, and be able to grieve and remember the people we lost."
Bennett said grief is with you for a long time, and she would like a place where they could pop to when they miss their family member, rather than travel all the way to Christchurch. Some family members are now in their 80s, making travel hard, she added.
"I would like to be able to go somewhere quiet and not have to plan a trip, take maybe two days out of my week to travel down to Christchurch," she said.
"... The thing for me, personally, is millions of dollars do not need to be spent... They could just plant a beautiful garden and just have the names of all the people that lost their lives and I'd be happy with that."
A plan for a memorial at Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park in Parnell faced major pushback, with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens. The plan was ultimately abandoned in 2023, after cyclone damage meant the land was unsafe to build on.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage explored 50 different sites for the memorial in the greater Auckland area over the past two years, none of which were suitable.
In July, three potential Christchurch sites were shared with the Erebus families.
The koru on the tail of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 at the site of the Mount Erebus crash. Photo: Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection
The Air Line Pilots' Association (NZALPA) is thrilled the memorial is finally being built, and in Christchurch.
The preferred site for the memorial is Cracroft Reserve, but the Avon riverbank is being held as an alternative option.
Andrew McKeen, a 787 pilot and president of the association, said the long-awaited memorial would finally honour victims of New Zealand's worst aviation disaster.
"Christchurch serves as New Zealand's gateway to Antarctica and was the intended stopover point for TE901's return to Auckland," he said in a statement.
"Since the tragedy many of our members have retired or passed on. Others still remember the turbulent months that followed that day in 1979 and the efforts NZALPA made to defend the professional reputations of their colleagues from unfair conjecture and blame."
McKeen reiterated that Captain Jim Collins and First Officer Greg Cassin had been cleared by a Royal Commission of any suggestion that negligence contributed to the disaster.
"We will now have a permanent national memorial. Erebus will forever be remembered by our industry and especially our members."
A memorial will be erected at Cracroft Reserve in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
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