The Government has agreed to build a national memorial to victims of the 1979 Mt Erebus plane crash in the Antarctic, but it is not expected in time for the disaster's 40th anniversary next year.
Members of a group pushing for a national memorial to name all those who died are glad it will be built, but disappointed at the delay.
They have not stated where they want it built, but two relatives of victims have said Auckland would be suitable.
The group, which includes June, Lady Hillary and other relatives of those killed on the Air New Zealand sightseeing flight, had hoped the memorial would be in place for the 40th anniversary of the disaster in November next year.
Lady Hillary lost her first husband, Peter Mulgrew, in the disaster.
Group spokesman Richard Waugh, said yesterday it had been told by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage that the scale and complexity of the memorial project meant it would not be ready for the 40th anniversary.
This was despite the ministry having been approached about the idea early in 2016, Mr Waugh said.
"They say something should be ready for maybe 2020.''
"That has come as quite a disappointment,'' he said.
Group member David Allan, who lost both parents and a teenage sister in the crash, has previously complained of the frustration resulting from procrastination the group has faced.
"We have been ignored, resulting in a lack of any tangible progress over much of this year [2017].
"It is embarrassing for the Erebus families and the procrastination can only be described as appalling.
"I think it is unfortunate that they haven't met the 40th anniversary deadline. However, I'm delighted that they are going ahead with it [a national memorial],'' he said yesterday.
All 257 people on board the Air New Zealand DC10 - 237 passengers and 20 crew - were killed in the crash.
There are several Erebus memorials, including the metal cross on the Antarctic mountain.
A memorial at Waikumete Cemetery in West Auckland names those who could not be positively identified or were never found.
A memorial to the crew is sited near Auckland International Airport, in Tom Pearce Dr.
Mr Waugh has said the families he is working with want a memorial that is elegant, accessible, and not in a cemetery.
The ministry said the Government was committed to establishing a national Erebus memorial and had initially planned to have it completed to mark the 40th anniversary.
"The ministry has since received specialist advice that aiming to get a ... memorial finished by November 2019 is too ambitious, given the need for meaningful consultation and high quality governance, site evaluation, design development - including a competition - consenting and building.
"We have received one or two expressions of disappointment from family members. We absolutely understand that disappointment.
"However, more people have contacted the ministry to say that they support the decision, and agree that getting the memorial right is more important than getting it done by the 40th anniversary.
"We now expect to dedicate the memorial in the first half of 2020, and will be looking to mark the 40th anniversary in some other, special, way connected with the creation of the memorial.''
- By Martin Johnston
