The generous bequest of half a million dollars from Kaiapoi resident Harry Harper has enabled this project which will bring the bridge up to date with current safety requirements as well as providing the opportunity to modernise both bridge and lighting.

The focus on the history of the town is an important aspect of its redesign. The selection panel including members of the Waimakariri Public Arts Trust and the Kaiapoi Tuahiwi Community Board were impressed by her preliminary presentation with its developing narrative showing Kaiapoi’s varied history.

For the past four years Mel has been painting murals in Rangiora and Kaiapoi with Blake Street carpark in Rangiora her first large scale project and the Cure Boating Club in Kaiapoi her most recent.

She has also done a few Chorus cabinets in Waimakariri and participated in the Wild in Art trails (Pop Up Penguins and Elmer Elephants), both of which were displayed in Kaiapoi.

Mel leapt at the chance to compete for the bridge project, as she explains, “I’ve been part of a few public art projects in Kaiapoi and love the creative energy here. This felt like a unique opportunity to tell the town’s story through design and I love that kind of challenge.”

Her design will walk people through history - from early Ngāi Tūāhuriri presence, through industry and commerce, to resilience through earthquakes, and now the vibrant community Kaiapoi is today.

“It’s about honouring what’s been and celebrating what’s here now,“ she says.

She is a firm believer that art brings people together.

“It helps tell stories and creates connections and this crossing has lived many lives and the bridge upgrade is just its next chapter.”

“I hope my design helps locals and visitors feel connected to Kaiapoi’s stories and see the bridge as a marker of those shared moments.”

One of the Chorus cabinets with Mel's design