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Six years ago when the Ruby Bay bypass was about to open, the locals got together to look at ways of retaining traffic and business.

The result is the Aporo (apple) Sculpture, which was officially launched at the Tasman Village end of the bypass. Artist and project manager Adi Tait says the sculpture represents a massive community effort in artistic input, fundraising, council backing and community and local business support.

“A group of local artists including Darryl Frost, Graeme Stradling and I got together and came up with a concept, but the whole thing looked too expensive and too hard to get grants and consents, so it was shelved for about three years,” she explains. “Then I met up with a friend from the Hamilton Sculpture Trust and was inspired by what they have achieved with support from local patrons and business.”

Adi re-approached the Ruby Coast Initiative Trust, the project was revived and the money was raised locally, with some grants from funding bodies and $10,000 from the Tasman District Council.

“Half of the costs of the $60,000 have been in-kind from businesses offering services free or discounted, including the stainless steel from one of Nelson Pine Industries’ old press belts and a lot of input on the actual making from Brightwater Engineering Limited (BEL),” she says.

“The project wouldn’t have happened without this support. BEL have been amazing – they’ve been very patient and have had the sculpture taking up space all of this year.” The final design is an almost nine metre high ovoid cylinder, with stylised shapes of seabirds from the estuary cut from steel, depicted flying upwards.

Adi says the theme reflects the Ruby Coast community’s role as guardians of a rich series of coastal wetlands, shorelines and coastal landscapes that they want to protect and celebrate. “The end result is really large scale and will attract people’s attention as they come down the motorway,” Adi says. A second sculpture is planned for Higgs Reserve near the Mapua turnoff, in the same size and shape, with fish from the Waimea Estuary instead of birds and another with a combined bird and fish theme will go at the Seaton Valley intersection.

More info: Adi Tait 027 2177 155