A new surfer statue could soon be riding into town at Colac Bay/Ōraka — but it won’t be cheap.
The small Southland township is staring down the barrel of a potential $140,000 bill to replace its existing structure, which towers over the entrance in decaying glory.
Built in 1999, the surfer has not weathered the storm well and has been the subject of funding requests for years.
The district council gave money for maintenance between 2001 and 2004 but declined requests in 2008 and 2019. It then approved a loan of $35,000 as part of its 2022/23 annual plan.
Assessments and community feedback had now deemed the surfer beyond repair and in need of replacement, a report prepared for a meeting this week showed.
One option presented was to replace the statue entirely at a cost of $140,000, propped up by significant fundraising.
The community was keen to hang onto the “iconic image of a surfer riding a wave”, which was a big part of the area’s identity, the report said.
A “remarkable” $58,000 had been fundraised by the Colac Bay Progress League which hoped a staged approach could be undertaken.
Under that approach — which was backed by staff — the design and construction of the new statue would be completed at a cost of $100,000 followed by installation to the tune of $40,000.
The progress league would fund $98,000 of the project’s total cost with the remainder being made up of $31,000 from the annual plan loan and $11,000 from Ōraka Aparima Community Board reserves.
Other options were to approve the $140,000 project without money from the community board reserve, meaning more fundraising, or to decline the increased budget altogether.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
