Taupō dinosaur sculpture sparks debate over public spending

Tuesday 20 May 2025 · 4 outlets · 2 reports · updated Tue 20 May 2025, 1:16pm

In this story Taupō District Council, David Trewavas

A mirror-finish dinosaur sculpture in Taupō has drawn criticism from locals who describe it as a waste of public funds. The nearly 10m-tall artwork was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Taupō District Council as part of the city's sculpture trail.

How they headlined it

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1. StuffTue 20 May 2025, 5:00am

   NZ’s most beautiful town slammed for spending $100k on ‘ugly’ dinosaur sculpture (opens in new tab)

   Also on Waikato Times (opens in new tab)

2. 1News via RNZTue 20 May 2025, 1:16pm

   Jurassic-sized fuss over Taupō's new dinosaur sculpture (opens in new tab)

   Also on RNZ (opens in new tab)