Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Good afternoon, it gives me pleasure to be here today at Akatarawa for this ceremony to unveil a plaque to mark the historic agreement between Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council for a joint cemetery on this site.
It was recently reported the mayor of Sarpourenx, a village in south-west France, has forbidden residents from dying and threatened them with severe punishment if they do, because there is no room left in the overcrowded cemetery to bury them.
While Hutt City faced a similar problem, with Taita Cemetery almost full and the lack of suitable sites for a new cemetery, I’m pleased I have not had to resort to the same drastic measure.
Hutt City Council’s purchase of this land in 1991, and the agreement that we celebrate today, will ensure Hutt City residents, indeed all Hutt Valley residents, a place of burial for many years to come.
It is obvious to everyone that a joint cemetery at Akatarawa is a logical and practical approach with the Hutt City Council land next door to the Upper Hutt City Council cemetery.
The situation in the French village all started when the mayor of a nearby town decided that the acquisition of adjoining private land to extend the cemetery would not be justified. So I’m extremely grateful to Mayor Wayne Guppy and Upper Hutt City Council for their support of a joint cemetery.
It is the latest in a range of services our two cities share, which, as a result, have brought us closer together. In recent years, we have amalgamated our waste water, emergency management and landfill services, for example.
Hutt City Council administers all of these, but in the case of the cemetery it will be Upper Hutt City Council managing it on behalf of both councils.
It signifies an important new step in our relationship. Our CEO Tony Stallinger summed it up well when he told the Hutt News after signing the agreement, “It’s an important signal of trust…we’re putting our future in their hands as they’ve put theirs in ours”.
I have every confidence that Upper Hutt City Council will do an excellent job with the running and administration of the cemetery, and I wish it well for that.
I would like to thank the staff of both councils who worked hard to develop the cemetery proposal and get us to this stage, in particular Marty Grenfell and his team from Upper Hutt City, and Bruce Hodgins, Chris Close and Anna Fenton from Hutt City. You all did a great job.
Again I want to thank Mayor Wayne Guppy and Upper Hutt City Council for their support and co-operation of the cemetery.
Our relationship with Upper Hutt City is very important to us, and one that we value and treasure. Our two cities are like “brothers in arms”, and I look forward to further opportunities to work together for the joint benefit of our residents.
Finally, may the cemetery provide the people of Hutt Valley a place of peace and beauty – a place to mourn, a place to remember, or simply be.
Thank you.