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Heritage > Ruth Gotlieb Oral History, Part 2

Standing for Mayor campaign literature 1992

Recorded Wednesday 8th April 2015: Gotlieb residence, Miramar.

Part 2 (56'50")

Interviewer: Gabor Toth

 
 

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Part 2, (53.3MB)

Contents

Time marker: Summary:
00'00" Introductions and interview overview which is to cover Ruth's time as a Councillor. Describes her first town planning committee meeting and the moral dilemma she faced when dealing with a particular issue.
05'00" The proposed sewerage treatment system was a huge, expensive and controversial project which took many years to resolve. Discusses the debate over milliscreening vs full treatment.
11'00" Ruth was very proud of her efforts to save and preserve the Nairn Street Colonial Cottage which was under threat of demolition or removal.
15'23" Similarly, saving the St James Theatre which was under threat of demolition was a long, drawn-out process. An offer allowing the WCC to buy the theatre for a token amount was rejected by Councillors for political reasons and the opportunity was lost.
20'00" Discussion about a casino planned for Wellington which was proposed following amendments to gambling legislation. Ruth supported the idea but it did not gain widespread political support and Wellington remained the only major city in New Zealand not to have such a facility.
23'50" The Youth Council was established with Ruth and other Councillor's support and was a group she greatly respected.
28'25" The annual waterfront car race was a great boost to the city and its economy but it divided many citizens, many of whom started lobbying their local Councillors with complaints about the noise.
32'35" The refurbishment of Te Aro Park (formerly Pigeon Park) was a controversial project that suffered considerable delays and a cost blow-out which was embarrassing to the Council. Sir Ron Trotter and Fletcher Challenge assisted financially to allow the project to be completed, something Ruth was very grateful for. (The controversy surrounding the construction of Te Aro Park is covered in this 1992 documentary film which features Ruth Gotlieb when she chaired the City Council's Arts Committee - A Cat Among the Pigeons).
40'20" The Council selling assets was often controversial with the public but was something that was often to the benefit to the city in the medium-long term. Ruth initially was against selling-down the Council's ownership of the Wellington Airport but gradually realised that there were certain areas where private enterprise could do a better job than the WCC could.
45'38" The importance of art, the benefit it brings to people and how Wellington acquired its Henry Moore sculpture (now positioned above the Lady Norwood Rose Garden).
48'50" After leaving Council, Ruth puts her name down for the Capital Coast Health Board and is elected for three terms. She was particularly interested in cancer patients and treatment and lobbied for the purchase of new linear accelerators. Rebuilding the hospital, its cost and where it was going to be built was a fraught issue. Rebuilding the hydrotherapy pool was something she was very passionate about.

Heritage Links (Local History)