There is growing community interest to develop a tract of unused land in Methven.

The Methven Community Board held a public meeting this week to gauge community interest in the council reserve land behind the Garden of Harmony.

Board chairperson Kelvin Holmes said there isn’t a plan for the site other than it being home to the historic RDR pipeshed.

The community board were after some community direction to see if there was a desire to develop it, and what that could entail.

The Methven Lions have already proposed to turn the site into a native bird sanctuary, launching the Methven Birdsong Initiative.

Spokesman Mac McElwain said the vision is to create a new native habitat on the vacant council-owned land behind the Garden of Harmony – an area of council land already turned into a planted area with walkways.

They have set about gauging public interest and had 340 responses to a survey with 95% support, he said.

“Unless the community is onside and participating, we shouldn’t do it.

“We need to be certain the community will be on board as it has to be community run and maintained.”

The Methven Community Board will discuss it further and how to progress at its meeting on Monday.

There was also a pest control workshop held in Methven on Thursday as part of the process of establishing a trap library ahead of establishing the native sanctuary , McElwain said.

By Jonathan Leask