Nurses angry over wisteria’s removal

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 8

Nurses angry over wisteria’s removal

JANE DUNBAR

The Plunket Society has come under attack from its own nurses, and the Christchurch City Council, for removing a 50-year-old wisteria from outside the Central Plunket rooms in Oxford Terrace. Thirteen Plunket nurses have signed a letter to “The Press” protesting at "the destruction of the pcturesque wisteria which graced the back of the building.”

“We understand the removal of the wisteria, in opposition to the wishes of the nurses, was ordered by a member of the

Plunket Society’s executive council,” said the nurses. The City Council’s acting general manager, Mr Rob Dally, said yesterday he was disappointed and upset the Plunket Society had cut down the wisteria in spite of specifically being asked not to. The council had trimmed the wisteria, propped it up and'done some work on a fence without charging a cent, he said.

The wisteria was “delightful” and ought to have been preserved. Mr Dally said it was on land owned by the council and

he would look into possible action. A member of the society’s executive council, Mrs Annette King, said the decision to remove the wisteria had been made by the majority of the Plunket district’s members. It was made partly because of complaints received about damage to cars and people. The society planned to realign the carpark to provide easier access to

the building and provide more parking space for the increasing number of people using the building, said Mrs King.