Large scale sculptures are about to grace the Stead St pathway and Airport Avenue.

The works have been designed and developed by Waihōpai Rūnaka and will form the last major component of the Invercargill City Council's (ICC) Stead St Stopbank Upgrade.

Waihōpai Rūnaka cultural narrative facilitator Keri Whaitiri said these works celebrate and reflect the beauty, bounty and importance of the Kōreti estuary, particularly as an interface between freshwater tributaries and Te Ara a Kiwa / Foveaux Strait.

“The ends of the stopbank wall are shaped to imply waka tīwai, everyday vessels that have plied these waters over time. The sculptural element on Stead Street is a tohu whenua celebrating the māramataka, the seasonal calendar that continues to be an integral part of life in this region. Another element on Airport Ave plays on a distinctive symbol for ahikaa Murihiku/Southland, greeting visitors and acknowledging residents alike,” Whaitiri said.

The upgraded, which has seen a kilometre of sheet pile stopbank, 2km of earthen embankment stopbank, along with 2.5km of shared-use path and associated landscaping, is to protect the city, airport and critical infrastructure from extreme weather events, sea level rise and further effects of climate change.

Work has also taken place along Airport Ave to create a shared pathway that would make a safer and more attractive entrance to the city for visitors.

ICC Group Manager Infrastructure Erin Moogan said the project, partially funded by a $10.8m grant from Kānoa – the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, remains under its original $15.5m budget.

“The last part of work to be completed is native planting on Airport Ave, which will have to wait until the right weather next year.”

Plants would be sourced from Te Tapu o Tāane, a collective of the four Papatipu Rūnanga o Murihiku, who joined forces to develop a native plant nursery and propagation venture in partnership with ICC.