'Best Town' sign to be installed soon

September 21st, 2011
[by David Armstrong]

After many months or discussion, the $3000 prize won by Keep Motueka Beautiful when Motueka was voted "Best Town 2010" last December will soon bear fruit in the form of a large metal plaque to be installed on the edge of the Museum Plaza, recording the award.

At its September meeting this Monday, Keep Motueka Beautiful (KMB) said it has reached agreement with Our Town Motueka and will join with the Sprig & Fern to celebrate the installation of the large sign. The prize for the competition, run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful, required that the sign was to be made by Auckland-based Sign of the Times Ltd (SOTT). (Further details here.)

KMB is also adding a second humpback bridge to its Inlet Reserve / Adopt-a-Plot area, which will be installed at the southern area where the marshlands are being restored. Originally sited in Riwaka, the bridge has been repaired and refurbished by Corrections workers.

Mike Tooker reported on the work his group is doing on the restoration of the inlet marshlands. The total number of new plants is now 1040, and the next big task is to clear an area of dumped trees and buried stumps. He said the noted ornithologist David Melville looked over the area and was enthusiastic about the efforts, also advising on ways of attracting more marsh birds back to the area.

David Ogilvie spoke of the expectation that the Tasman Cycle Trail which is ready for use from Richmond to Mapua will be extended to Motueka within about two years, and that some of the cycleway paths built and maintained by KMB will be part of the route. Consideration will need to be given to widening several of these, including the problematic stretch from the golf course to the Kumaras.

The committee noted that it had lost a few members over the past year and is looking for any people keen on keeping their town beautiful - and making it even more beautiful - to join the committee or help in some other voluntary capacity.

Comment by William Cleaver:
[Posted 24 September 2011]

It angers me and numerous others that I have spoken to, that this is all we can do to promote Motueka after winning best Town 2010. Motueka has alway played second fiddle to Richmond so when Mot won the accolade we should have grabbed it and run with it. OTM and i-Site in discusion agree also but nothing was really done.

I know people will be saying who is this guy moaning, at least we have a plaque now. I say bollocks, it's not enough. We should have done more and these are suggestions from the public:

- A banner over the entrace to the town.
- The local papers should have under their Heading BEST TOWN 2010.
- Shop owners display something in windows.
- Motel and tourist operations added BT2010 on their websites.

The list goes on. Consider this: if a cafe, magazine, business or even sports group were to win a simular accolade do you think that they would do nothing about it? I don't and I know the reader won't think so. So why did a whole town?

Comment by Ann Martin:
[Posted 5 October 2011]

On driving through Waikanae last week, I noticed that their Welcome to Waikanae sign had "Best Town 2009" (or whatever the year was) printed on the sign.

Comment by Jenny Richards:
[Posted 8 October 2011]

Kawerau also has the sign "Top Town" (whenever the date was). Admittedly this was the sports event, but who cares? At least they were proud enough to have it up there! I suggested this idea to the "Keep Motueka Beautiful" group, but heard nothing further. I support William Cleaver's stance!

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