New pou to join cultural display at Leith Place

Next week two new pou will join the existing display of art and culture at Leith Place in Tokoroa.

Council, in conjunction with local iwi Raukawa, will install two new 'talking poles' at the popular shopping lane and State Highway 1 stop-off area, along with the uplifting and repositioning of the existing Raukawa pou at Leith Place.

Traffic management will be in place from Monday, 13 October until the afternoon of Thursday, 16 October, impacting State Highway 1 and part of the Leith Place carpark.

Tokoroa's Talking Poles were first suggested in 1996 by landscape designer Colleen Priest as a feature for the town's retail area. Since then, around 50 poles have been displayed.

Timeline (subject to weather)

• Monday, 13 October | Traffic management begins in the morning.
• Tuesday, 14 October | Karakia from 7am to uplift the existing pou of Raukawa prior to its repositioning at Leith Place.
• Tuesday 14 October - Wednesday, 15 October | Contractors work to install two new pou.
• Thursday, 16 October | Ceremony from 7am to unveil new pou and announce names. Traffic management ends in the afternoon.