Millennium sculpture still not finished

A huge stone waka sculpture created to mark the millennium in Whangarei still needs another $40,500 to finish it off.

The Waka and Wave sculpture at Hihiaua Reserve was initiated in 1996 by the Whangarei District Council as a millennium project. If extra funding is approved the sculpture will have cost $339,000.

Parks manager Glenda Bostwick has recommended the council's community enterprises committee pay the extra $40,500 to cover "agreed variations" to the council's contract with sculptor Chris Booth.

Her report to the committee's meeting tomorrow reveals the biggest cost overrun is $20,000 to cut limestone slabs with an industrial diamond because it was "uneconomic" to do so by hand.

Extra money is also needed for boulders, rebuilding of the waka's foundation and completion of tiles on the waka.

She said the sculpture's location would welcome visitors arriving in the city by river.

A street survey in Whangarei yesterday found most people had never seen the sculpture and had no idea where to find it.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)