New district crest

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 228, 26 January 1988, Page 3

New district crest

The Waimarino D i s trict C o u n c i 1 Steering Committee have accepted the final design for the new council's crest for its stationery, accounts, signs, vehicles, plant and equipment. The committee ran a n open competition last year to generate local community interest and invite community participation. From the entries received the committee chose elements of design they preferred and commissioned local designer Dennis Beytagh to produce the final design. The circular crest design submitted by Vince Pakinga was chosen as the basis for the design, incorporating elements o f other entries received. The committee decided to keep the blue as the base colour but drop the intertwined letters 'WDC' as these letters were likely to b e shared by many other councils. They also decided that 'the mountain' was the single most distinctively recognisable feature in the area so should be incorporated in the design.

Dennis Beytagh said he experimented with a number of alternative design elements representing various Waimarino activities within the circular framework, but found they could not all be incorporated in the same without the proverbial 'dogs breakfast' result. It was therefore decided to reduce elements to those representing natural, geographical, permanent features. which meant returning to an original concept of 'mountains/rivers/central plateau/plains. The final design (pictured) incorporates an unmistake-

able view of Mt Ruapehu, with Ngauruhoe over the left flank, placing the viewpoint within the Waimarino. The six main rivers of the region are depicted in a way to create an illusion of flowing across relatively flat, fertile plains. If the rivers are also seen by some as ski trails or some other Waimarino activity so much the better, says designer Dennis Beytagh, but which ever way they are interpreted they create a strong focal point in the centre of the design where attention is concentrated and rctained.