Tough times dent marauder's quest for gold

Dannevirke's hulking Viking has been stopped in his tracks by lack of booty.

With little money raised, and trusts tightening their belts, the proposed 10-metre-high statue may be years away.

The project, which started seven years ago, aimed to produce a 20-tonne statue, built with glass-reinforced concrete, laced with copper, stainless steel and bronze.

Dannevirke Promotion Society chairman Malcolm Peffers said that, even with resource consent secured, there was little the society could do to make the statue a reality.

"Because of climatic economic conditions it has been really difficult to try to extract money from anybody, so we decided to put it on hold for a year. It doesn't mean that the project has run out of puff but the bottom line is, no money, no statue."

Several trusts that rejected funding applications last year have offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting the society reapply this year. But the costs were escalating in the face of tough economic times and rising prices, Mr Peffers said.

The original estimate was for $180,000, but now the work, by Wellington sculptor Denis Hall, will not happen until organisers have at least $300,000.

"We have raised $15,000 so far and that was mainly from locals after all the hoo-ha about whether a Viking was appropriate. We have fought very hard to convince people that the icon is not inappropriate so there is no way we are giving up on seeing the project really happen."

Opponents who initially tried to scuttle the society's resource consent bid said portraying a warrior race renowned for pillaging, looting and carrying off women would be culturally insensitive and distort the town's history.

The society hopes to restart fundraising efforts this year.

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