A public backlash is building against a plan for a large sculpture at the entrance to Nelson Harbour.
Nelson City Council has approved the sculpture on Haulashore Island, but the majority of the 70 people who attended a public meeting on Monday criticised the plan, saying a large artwork would spoil the island's charm.
The chairman of the Sculpture Trust, Andrew Greenough, says Nelson is supposed to be a centre of arts and it needs a sculpture of grand scale.
He says he is not deterred by the public criticism, although the plan has a long way to go before it is a reality.
