Jane Davis, Allan Renall and Brian McWilliams enjoy the new barbecue in Carrington Park. PHOTO/CHELSEA BOYLE
By Chelsea Boyle
A crisp, clear Friday afternoon proved the perfect moment to fire up the new barbecue in Carrington Park.
The Carterton Lions Club and Carterton District Council team celebrated their joint venture, one they hope will prove popular with local families.
Allan Renall, from the Carterton Lions Club, said he was pleased with how the barbecue looked.
“Everyone’s over the moon,” he said.
They managed to pull it off after just three or four working bees, he said
“We don’t muck around.
“The club had some money in a special fund waiting for a community project to come along that we could get behind.”
They went to the Carterton Place Making group and got the ball rolling.
Parks and reserves manager Brian McWilliams was full of praise for the Carterton Lions Club.
“I think it’s a brilliant project, with a brilliant community behind it,” he said.
“It’s worked out really well.
“When I was in Australia I saw that they were really commonplace.”
The barbecue was free for people to use, and would remain free to discourage vandals, he said.
If it was coin operated, it would risk people trying to break into it.
The electric barbecue starts at the push of a button, and remains hot for 20 minutes following.
It was stainless steel, making for light work when clean-up time rolls around.
Carterton Mayor John Booth said the barbecue was “fantastic” and would be great for local families.
He hoped it would make it easier for families using a classic Kiwi sausage sizzle to drum up funds for local sport teams and community groups.