A 16-metre Buddha statue is set to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of a small rural community in Waiwera Valley.
Residents of the area, about 50km north of central Auckland, said they weren’t consulted about the sculpture – and because the council considered it art, no resource consent was needed.
While the statue is currently still under construction, it will soon tower over the Waiwera Valley hilltop, much to the dismay of some neighbouring residents.
“The size is just… that’s monstrous for a valley like this,” said Waiwera Valley Action Group spokesperson David Pennington.
The structure is a representation of Buddhist master Guru Rinpoche, and belongs to Jeta’s Grove Charitable Trust.
1News requested an interview with the group but did not hear back.
Pennington argued the statue is going to be “very visible from all the properties around here”.
“It’s going to be bright gold which just doesn’t make sense in a rural environment.”
Residents only learned of the building plans in recent months. After raising concerns with the council, they were told the piece had been accepted as artwork under the Auckland Unitary Plan.
“It’s a faithful replication of, apparently, an image of Guru Rinpoche. To my mind, that describes a religious instalment. It doesn’t describe art,” Pennington said.
In a statement, the council said artwork is permitted in rural zones without a consent as long as it complies with other controls, which the statue does.
However, if the structure is used as a site of worship, a resource consent would be required.
The council also said it is currently investigating reports of gatherings at the site, after footage of what appeared to be a Buddhist ceremony was captured by a resident.
Pennington said concerns around possible gatherings was also raised with the council.
“Their response was ‘they are allowed six such events per year’,” he said.
The Waiwera Valley Action Group urged the council to stop the build and request a public hearing.
“There’s a hole in the council planning bylaws which allows people within a rural production area to call something art and therefore be allowed to proceed with it without notification to the public and to my mind, that’s just wrong.”
