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ASB chips in $5000 towards whale sculpture park in Paraparaumu

ASB Kapiti has donated $5000 to the Whale Song project.


Whale Song project aims to build a life-size sculpture park in a prime Paraparaumu location featuring seven humpback whales.


The bronze sculpted whales, sitting on top of wind turbine-type poles, would range in size up to 24m.


Branch manager Chantelle Meyer said part of the bank's refreshed community sponsorship was about focusing on people within communities that were making a difference.


"Terry Mountney, who is working in our private banking team, has nominated Whale Song, and has asked us to support it.


"We're just really proud of the work Whale Song has done so far.


"We've been taken through their presentation and were really impressed with everything they're wanting to achieve.


"If anyone can help the project, they definitely should, because it's for our community, and it's going to make a huge difference to all of our lives, whether you're directly involved or not."


Marco Zeeman, who is spearheading the Whale Song project, was "blown away by the generosity of the bank".


It was good to have the bank on board for "potentially one of the biggest project's this district has ever seen".


Zeeman said there had been pledges to fund two of the whales.


"And obviously we keep building on our donations every week at the display in Coastlands.


"The feedback continues to be positive.


"The community is very keen to see it happen."


He said the Whale Song trust hoped government funding could help the project which would revitalise the proposed area and "open up over 80 acres of commercial land for development and bring thousands of jobs to Kāpiti".


A meeting was being organised with Stuart Nash who is the regional and economic development minister.


The project also had a letter of support from deputy prime minister Grant Robertson who visited the display recently.


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