Fundraising for a life-size bronze statue of poet James K Baxter has reached the halfway mark and the fundraising group hopes to achieve its target this year.
The Guyton Group, chaired by Lesley Stead, has raised $48,000 for the statue, which will be created by Baxter's friend, sculptor Joan Morrell, and situated in Guyton St.
"We're really rapt with being halfway," Stead said.
"Even the installation will be a very costly exercise because it has to be embedded quite deeply in the pavement."
The Guyton Group, which is now a fully registered trust with the Charities Commission, held its inaugural annual meeting on Monday, April 30. Stead said people at the meeting supported the group's proposals to beautify Guyton St and discussed fundraising plans for the year.