Market gardener to rival carrot and drink bottle towns

Ohakune's famous local icon is a giant carrot.

Ohakune has a carrot, Paeroa its drink bottle and Masterton a pair of golden shears.

Now Horowhenua wants to add to New Zealand's local icons with a statue of a market gardener on State Highway 1.

But first Horowhenua District Council, which endorsed the idea last night, needs to find out whether it or Transit New Zealand owns the land.

The statue would represent the horticultural sector of the district and commemorate 100 years of Rotary community service next year.

"The market gardener has a very big influence in this district area," Rotary icon project manager Neville Currie said.

The 2.4m high solid structure overlaid with bronze would stand stand on a 1.2m high square base displaying ornamental vegetable plants.

Rotary would pay for the statue, worth about $45,000, but it needed council permission to use the land and to get clearance from Transit.

- HOROWHENUA-KAPITI CHRONICLE (LEVIN)