Sculpture to get touch-up
The much-loved sculpture at Te Awamutu Rose Gardens is set to get a touch-up ahead of the 50th anniversary of the gardens later this year.
Designed by Fred Graham, the sculpture, which depicts a flight of birds landing onto water, will be temporarily removed from its spot in the water feature while work is done to realign the wings and re-weld the joints that have been damaged over time. This will take up to 12 weeks.
Waipa District Council's acting community services manager Brad Ward said repairing the sculpture was necessary not only to preserve it but to prevent water from catching on it and spilling over to damage the grass.
We're keen to get the sculpture back in place as quickly as possible for the community to continue to enjoy for years to come. We need to get this work done now so the gardens are looking their best for the historic anniversary celebrations on 1 December.
Council are also re-painting the seats and gates, repairing the garden borders and installing new rubbish bins. This work will start from the 5th of August and is expected to be complete by the end of October.
Te Awamutu Rose Gardens is amongst the most beautiful rose gardens in New Zealand and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Maintaining it and ensuring it is at its best is important to Waipa District Council. Council has budgeted $15,000 for the repair of both the sculpture and the facilities in the garden from existing operating budgets.
Members of the community are still welcome to come and enjoy the gardens while work is underway.