Editorial: A murky business

OPINION: It is one of the quirks of Nelson's beachfront that among the eclectic array of attractions maintained there is a murky pond which at the height of summer turns stagnant and clogs with weed.

The state of the modellers pond has been a problem for years and this summer has become sufficiently vile to prompt protests from the local business community.

To some minds the pond is as much a part of Tahunanui as the nearby miniature railway (whose guardians are also responsible for maintaining the pond) and Natureland – fixtures which may seem quaint and old-fashioned but in their own way reflect the vein of traditional attitudes that runs through Nelson.

But just because it is popular with model-boat enthusiasts and has a long-standing connection to the esplanade cannot excuse its condition.

Finding a way to properly flush and refill it and keep out the weed is clearly beyond the capabilities of the modellers society.

It is appropriate that the Nelson City Council has stepped up as land owner to find an answer. Some may feel it is about time.

The test will be whether a fiscally and environmentally responsible solution can be found, by no means a given.

At that point, those who forgive the pond's stinky, unsightly moments because of its place in the town's fabric may have to find more than sentimentality to justify its future.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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