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6 August, 2024 | Proudly locally owned and operated
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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA Grab your mates & make a day of it!
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Working for change on the Coromandel
Mercury Bay a World Heritage Site – many different views BY PAULINE STEWART
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xploring and Informing on the possibility of a World Heritage Site (WHS) for Mercury Bay was the agenda for last Sunday’s very special and well attended meeting held at Mercury Bay Club. The meeting or forum was organised by a small group who have actually been thinking and learning about the WHS process for
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a number of years. It has had some starts and stops over the years and has been principally initiated by Warwick Wilson, but the dream of a World Heritage Site being possible for wider Mercury Bay is still cradled by this group - Annie and Warwick Wilson, Ady Cole-Ewen, Helen Vivian, Kate James and of course, Professor Gordon Maxwell. Kevin Neal has been providing a Ngati Hei perspective. The principal organiser of the meeting was Ady
Cole-Ewen, local Wharekaho resident and long time campaigner for the environment. Those interested came to listen to Professor Gordon Maxwell and to learn more, ask questions, as well as offer their opinions. All of that happened. Key community leaders attended. Kevin Neal opened the meeting and a number of senior members of Ngati Hei who had received special invitations and were present including Acting Chair of the Charitable
Trust, Shelley Balsom. TCDC Councillors -Deli Connell and John Grant, Waikato Regional Councillor - Warren Maher, as well as Caroline Hobman and Bess Kingi from the Mercury Bay Community Board. In terms of understanding what World Heritage means for a site, Professor Gordon has had invaluable experience in the long process of how to apply World Heritage status and would be able to give the benefit of his expertise in this. Turn to page 2
The Coromandel Informer – 6 August 2024 | 1