Christchurch sites considered for Erebus memorial site
Photo:
Colin Monteith / Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection
Three possible Christchurch locations for an Erebus memorial site have been shared with families.
The sites will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979 when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour.
The government committed to building a National Erebus Memorial in 2017, with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage leading the project.
A plan for a memorial in Auckland's Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens, and it was ultimately
abandoned in 2023
after cyclone damage and land instability meant it was no longer safe to build on the site.
Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said the following three potential Christchurch sites had been shared with the Erebus families and members of the group Operation Overdue.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is seeking feedback from the Erebus families on each of the sites and said no decisions had been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch, nor which of the potential sights may be selected.
"We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step and we will carefully consider their feedback.
"We are committed to building this memorial - for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy," Leauanae said in a statement.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the city was honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial.
"As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa," he said in a statement.
"Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity."
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