A long-standing aviary in Whanganui is set to close its doors next month, following a narrow council vote to shut it down.
Two 70-year-old cockatoos are among birds being put out of their lifelong home by the closure of much loved public aviary in Whanganui.
A Whanganui District Council motion to close the Rotokawau Virginia Lake Aviary was carried, with seven councillors in favour, and six opposed.
As a result of the vote, the aviary will be decommissioned on July 1, and the birds rehomed.
It’s the second time the fate of the aviary has gone to a council vote, after councillors moved to close the facility in 2023. It survived after overwhelming support from the community to keep it open.
Whanganui District Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay voted in favour of closing down the aviary, citing concerns for the potential future cost to ratepayers.
“It was a really tough decision for the council as a whole but, ultimately, we had a report provided to us by our chief executive last year by a qualified zoologist that identified a number of process-based challenges with the aviary and a number of structural issues as well,” he told Breakfast.
“The aviary was built in the 1970s, and as it continues to age, it is going to need a considerable amount of work done on it, and ultimately it was a question of priorities for us.”
The aviary was beloved by many in Whanganui, with some locals taking to social media to express anger over the decision.
It’s prompted one local to set up a petition to keep the aviary open, which has garnered more than 2000 signatures so far.
Chandulal-Mackay acknowledged the sentimental value of keeping the facility running.
“We had people that went there as children, they then took their own children there, and taken their grandchildren there as well. I do understand that it is quite an emotive issue, and that people feel quite a strong attachment to the aviary.”
However, given the “significant amount of investment” required to maintain the building, it was not feasible to keep it open.
Chandulal-Mackay says officers have already begun working on a rehoming plan for the birds, which will prioritise the birds’ welfare.
“We’ve got two cockatoos in there that are 70 years old, so we do need to make sure their best interests are taken into account when rehoming them.”