Pipiriki clean-up criticised
Some of the 'locals' of the small settlement of Pipiriki, have expressed concern about some 'cleaning up' that is currently taking place in their area — so much so that a petition has been launched to halt the work. The upset has stemmed from a local family's efforts to tidy up the site of Pipiriki House. The former hotel burnt to the ground in 1959 but Ieft behind remnants of its gardens which were renowned for their native and exotic flora. Some of the original trees date back to around 1905. Pipiriki lncorporation member Mark Cribb, applied unsuccessfully to the Waimarino County Council last year for permission to operate a caravan park on the site. However the site is used by some campers and more recently by Mr Cribb's visiting family from Auckland. The family started cleanup work on and around the site last week and say they were disgusted by the amount of rubbish under and around the trees and shrubs. Since starting on the work they have mowed the lawns, cut back overhanging trees and cleared the bank by the fenceline. Unfortunately some residents consider their cleanup to be too thorough. Manageress of the Colonial House at Pipiriki, Fiona Lundy was shocked at the initial results of the work. "Some of the trees and bushes were overgrown to an extent, but there was no reason why they could n't have been pruned back and still maintained the village's
old world atmosphere," she said. Some of the locals share Mrs Lundy 's views. One resident was reported to have said; "Pruningdoes not need to be carried out at ground level. If they want to tidy the site, they should retain the shelter and privacy offered by the roadside vegetation." M rs Lundy said people come to Pipiriki to reminisce about the old Hotel and enjoy the natural beauty of the spot. She was disturbed about the fact that all of the trailing honeysuckle vine that grew on the fence line had been removed and the camp>site had been left open to wiindblown dust from the Wanganui River Road. The site hiad lost its privacy, she said. Mrrs Lundy said she has noticced a drop in the
number of tourists using the campsite since the beginning of the clean-up and has also received some adverse comments about its appearance from tourists and users of the River Road. In a letter confirming her fears, Mrs Lundy wrote: "Some residents are most concerned that 'the vandals with chainsaws'slashers etc. will destroy the remaining vegetation along the fenceline of Pipiriki Hotel. The charming old village atmosphere is seldom found in New Zealand and it is a feature which helps create the romantic old world atmosphere that is in part Pipiriki'." The Cribb family are adamant however, that their work has only just begun and it is too early to judge what the end result will look like.
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 31, 20 January 1987, Page 1
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486Pipiriki clean-up criticised Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 31, 20 January 1987, Page 1
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