Construction is under way with foundations laid for the 5-metre plinth on which the 11.5m golden statue will stand – an edifice labelled a “monstrosity” by neighbours.
The letter from the charity – sent to the Herald and to Waiwera Valley residents – is the first direct communication to neighbours from the organisation named on planning documents for the statue.
As its lawyers pointed out to the Herald last week, it wasn’t legally obliged to make contact with neighbours through the planning and approval stage.
The Buddhist statue was described as “art” in Jeta’s Grove’s application to Auckland Council. Council rules say works of art don’t need resource consents if they are built in rural areas.
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Instead, they go through a Certificate of Compliance process in which a town planner makes an assessment as to whether the intended construction is “art”.
The Waiwera Valley construction site where a 16.5m Buddhist statue and plinth is being erected. Photo / David Fisher
Sent in the name of the Jeta’s Grove trust, the letter didn’t carry the name of any individual but said: “We hold great respect for our neighbours, and in our dreams, we envision neighbours as dear companions, perfectly harmonious, generous of spirit, thoughtful, compassionate, peace-loving, with an appreciation for the arts and cultural refinement.
“This is the kind of wonderful neighbour we hope to be,” the letter said.
It said the Buddhist statue had been “crafted by a Taiwanese artist and is a work of art”.
The letter from the trust went on to talk with enthusiasm of New Zealand as a multicultural nation with “its communities beautifully integrated across different ethnic groups” where art and faith were “embraced with tolerance, respect, and freedom”.
“From Māori culture to European immigrant traditions, and from Asian to global immigrant communities, all coexist harmoniously on this land.
“We feel secure in our lives and property, and we chose this land precisely because we can enjoy an atmosphere of liberty and peace. We are deeply grateful to this country and its gentle people.”
The letter said the “modest structures” planned for the land would “make the area even more beautiful”.
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It said it would do so in the way of “a queen adorned with her crown, dignified and regal, or a bride dressed in her wedding gown, graceful and enchanting, as vibrant as roses blooming in green grass”.
“To those without particular faith, this represents cultural art; to people of faith, it also serves as a place of spiritual solace. We hope this space will bring even greater perfection to this piece of land.
“Let us work together to create a community environment of religious harmony and freedom of belief, where everyone can find spiritual sanctuary in their own faith whilst respecting others’ choices.”
Waiwera Valley Action Group spokesman Dave Pennington said: “It means nothing has changed. Not peace and harmony – it’s a whitewash, if anything.”
Pennington said the letter appeared to describe the plinth and statue as the centrepiece of a construction that had – in essence – a religious purpose rather than one that was artistic.
He said he believed the letter also described a situation that differed from what was laid out in the original planning documents.
In those, the statue was said to be for quiet contemplation by the owner. “Jeta’s Grove saying they have plans to build this garden seems to imply it is for far more than quiet contemplation of the owner.”
He said the letter would be sent to Auckland Council to ask it to again consider whether the description of “art” was fitting.
“There’s still no information as to who Jeta’s Grove is, who the people are that comprise Jeta’s Grove or where the funding comes from.”
Pennington said those questions became more pressing after the recent discovery of a video on YouTube featuring a global Buddhist figure with a reverential group carrying out a ceremony on the hilltop.
Auckland Council has said it carefully considered the application. In the case of the statue application, it was reviewed by three town planners who decided it was “art”.
The council has said if the site evolves into a place of religious worship then any construction on the site would likely need to go through a resource consent process.
The land on which the statue will sit belongs to a company called Nature Trustee Ltd, whose sole director and shareholder is Remuera resident Shaoying Li. She has been approached for comment but has not responded.
The Jeta’s Grove Charitable Trust was identified through plans submitted to council and appears to be named for a famous Buddhist monastery called Jetavana in India. The trust was set up in 2018 and has three founding trustees: Yanan Wei, Jiao Li and Wen Ting Liu.
Documents filed with the Charities Register say it exists to further the Buddhist faith, to provide facilities in New Zealand to further that aim and to “nurture and support the people in New Zealand in a socially and economically sustainable manner”.
The trust’s 2024 accounts said its total assets were $1.8 million with $164,000 income, largely from donations, and $141,000 outgoings with most of that spent on hosting events.
David Fisher is based in Northland and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, winning multiple journalism awards including being twice named Reporter of the Year and being selected as one of a small number of Wolfson Press Fellows to Wolfson College, Cambridge. He joined the Herald in 2004
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