Ghastly fence built to isolate: Resident

3rd November 2007

REBECCA STEVENSON

Napier is now the proud owner of its own Berlin Wall according to a Tamatea resident who says a fence around the Parklands Estate subdivision is ugly and divides the community.

Construction on the city's newest suburb started about two years ago, with 800 houses planned for the Napier City Council-owned site near Tamatea.

A green fence built by the council has irked some residents on the Tamatea side.

Brian Duggan lives by the fence, and said while it was "natty and neat" for Parklands' people those over a reserve dividing the two settlements copped an an eyeful of the back of the fence that is "ghastly and crude".

"It looks cheap, it's awful. It is imposing and stark, very long and very ugly, and ruins what was a pleasant outlook." His other complaint was the fence divided the "haves" in Parklands from the "have nots" in Tamatea.

"It is divisive, it splits the community. That fence looks like the Berlin Wall, built to keep us out."

Not so, said Napier City Council works asset manager Bill McWatt.

He said his team had spent some time planning the fence and the other option, Parklands residents building their own fences, could lead to an unattractive "patchwork" look.

"We wanted to make it consistent with height, materials and colour. We have planted over 100 trees along the drainage reserve to make it as attractive as possible," Mr McWatt said.

He said as the trees grew they would soften the impact of the fence. Mr McWatt said the fence wasn't cheap but didn't have the cost at hand.

"People have a right to fence their properties but we thought this was a better option. You can't really win sometimes."