Modellers urged to move

Some people are calling for the Nelson Society of Modellers to give up on the infamous and costly Modellers Pond at Tahunanui.

Champion Green Facility Committee chair Murray Cameron contacted the Nelson City Council, saying it was time for the society to move to the Champion Green Pond at Saxton Field, where he said many model boat enthusiasts were already setting sail.

‘‘We’re trying to set it up for a whole range of sports groups, and that could include the modellers’ society,’’ he said. ‘‘They don’t need to spend anything, there’s already a freshwater pond there . . . it would also save the council squillions.’’

Cameron said there was ‘‘no sense’’ in spending more to maintain the pond, as it would continue to need cleaning and maintenance, and it was not clear how many people would use it for sailing model boats.

Future developments at Saxton could include facilities for modellers, he said – unlike the Tahunanui pond, which was a relic of the past.

‘‘It’s finished. It’s dead. It’s silly that the council’s spending so much public money on it – they can’t justify the spending.

‘‘It would cost [the society] nothing to move out to Champion Green. Perhaps they could add a shed for their boats, but they could add some weight to the six or seven groups that are already out there.’’

Cameron said he had made this pitch to the society before but received no reply.

Tahunanui Business Association (TBA) chair Paul Matheson said losing the modellers would be the loss of a Tahunanui ‘‘icon’’.

‘‘It would be difficult for them to move away from the tourist presence. It belongs within that consolidation of children’s and family entertainment at the beach.’’

He said the council’s decision to concrete the base of the pond was the ‘‘sensible’’ decision.

John Gilbertson, a member of both the TBA and the pond working party, also said the concreting option was the best currently available. ‘‘It’s the most environmentally friendly solution we can do at this time.’’

He said concreting the base would prevent ruppia weed from having anything to grow in, which would help to keep the pond clear of algae as well, and would maintain the pond as both a place for modellers and as ‘‘an important part of the stormwater function for the city’’.

However, Councillor Matt Lawrey said the pond should be done away with and the area turned into a ‘‘shared recreational area’’ with an estuarine environment.

‘‘We still don’t know how many people are going to use this pond once we’ve concreted it. I find it quite bizarre that we’ve funded it without knowing that.’’

He said that if the modellers moved to Saxton, it wouldn’t necessarily have to be a loss for Tahunanui, as without the pond there could be some other public attraction or space.

Society spokesman Nigel Gibbs declined to comment.