Napier’s battle over name ends

The war is finally over for Napier residents who fought tooth and nail for their city’s war memorial to have its name reinstated.

The battle came to a head at yesterday’s full Napier City Council meeting, for which security guards lined up at the doors and all the public seats were taken.

Mayor Bill Dalton attempted to amend a name that was previously accepted by a council committee of the ‘‘Napier War Memorial Conference Centre’’.

Councillor Kirsten Wise successfully passed the ‘‘Napier War Memorial Centre’’ name last month, and that was backed by yesterday’s vote to be the building’s permanent name, undoing years of what some residents have felt was an injustice to veterans’ memories.

Dalton failed to amend Wise’s name by a contentious hand-vote of 7-6.

After Dalton’s amendment was rejected, Wise’s original name – the Napier War Memorial Centre – was passed unanimously.

Wise, who phoned in to the meeting from the United States, said the building could still be marketed as a host for conferences, as the Whanganui War Memorial Centre was.

Councillor Annette Brosnan criticised the council’s risk report that warned removing the word ‘‘conference’’ from the name would mean higher rates for residents.

‘‘Council did not request a risk assessment of its decision, however it’s been commissioned purely, in my view, to undermine that original committee decision,’’ she said.

Public attendees were visibly elated after the name was moved, with a loud and prolonged clap before people left the room.