The giant Rakaia salmon sculpture is heading back to its creator for refurbishment.

Councillors this week approved expenditure of up to $297,000, plus GST, for the job and awarded the contract for the specialist work to sculptor Phil Price, who created it for Rakaia back in 1991.

Funds for the project will come from the Reserve Contributions account - $215,000 is for the refurbishment and the remainder for transporting the giant fish.

Group Manager of Infrastructure and Open Spaces Neil McCann said staff had tendered the work earlier this year and only one proposal was received, and that was from Mr Price, the original creator of the 12m salmon sculpture.

“He can now take the salmon down and restore it carefully in a studio in Christchurch. The sculpture is 34 years old and really showing its age, so it needs repairs to its fibreglass body and the paintwork to be restored to the original state with individual scales and colour work with pearls and metallics.”

Mr McCann said there was also surface cracking on the tail of the salmon that risked exposing the inner core of the sculpture to moisture damage.

“This won’t be an easy project, but the salmon is iconic to Rakaia and photographed by hundreds of people every day.”

The refurbishment was deemed urgent before the sculpture deteriorated to a point where it was uneconomical to repair.

Approving the expenditure after a robust discussion by Councillors this week, Mayor Neil Brown said the iconic sculpture was last refurbished in 2006 and had withstood the elements of time and harsh weather for nearly 20 years. It was due to be restored to its former glory, including a UV resistant finish, and would last another 20 years.

The sculpture has been a feature of the State Highway 1 reserve since 1991. It was a Rakaia Lions initiative and built in Christchurch by Mr Price from steel, wood and fireglass at a cost of $44,893.

On its way to Rakaia, it was detoured through Cathedral Square for a blessing by the Christchurch Wizard before continuing its journey to Rakaia, where it was officially unveiled on Saturday 27 April 1991.