Councillor Gail O’Neill on when the sea eagle sculpture will be installed at Kirra Hill

A southern Gold Coast councillor has responded to rumours that the Kirra eagle is ‘getting ready to land’ four years after it was removed from its perch.

The Kirra Eagle before it was removed at Kirra Hill lookout. Picture: Catherine Wiggins.

A southern Gold Coast councillor has responded to rumours that the Kirra eagle is “getting ready to land” four years after it was removed from its perch.

Gold Coast residents have been waiting with bated breath for the return of the ‘rusty chook’, which was removed in March 2021 due to safety reasons.

The sea eagle sculpture, which looked over one of the Gold Coast’s most famed surf breaks for more than 40 years, was one of the city’s most visited and beloved pieces of artwork.

In 2023, the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) announced they would replace the sea eagle sculpture with a replica.

The Kirra Eagle before it was removed at Kirra Hill lookout.

The eagle was scheduled to be installed late last year but has since been delayed, with a final date still yet to be announced.

On Monday, resident Jeanne Taylor shared a photo to the local community page and said “the eagle is getting ready to land”.

The post was flooded with comments from locals who said they were “so excited” to see the replica.

“Wow this is the best news,” Marlene Lauw said.

“It was the icon of Kirra. So happy with this news.”

Jeanne Taylor shares photo of workers laying the foundations for the Kirra sea eagle sculpture. Photo: Facebook/Jeanne Taylor

However, Division 14 councillor Gail O’Neill said the project was still a “couple of months” away from being completed.

“It’s frustrating that it’s taking so long but you can’t rush these things,” she said.

Ms O’Neill confirmed council was only working on laying the foundations to hold the new eagle.

“Nothing is going up as yet,” she said.

“I will be the first one yelling from the rafters (when it’s up).”

In February 2022, Ms O’Neill campaigned to get council to fund the manufacture of an exact replica after engineering reports showed the original ‘rusty chook’ could not be restored.

“We always knew it was going to be a difficult process,” she said.

“There was a lot of different components to the replica. Even having it have to be located somewhere else to be done.”

While the costs of the replica remain confidential, it was understood options involved up to $500,000 of ratepayer money.

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Originally published as Councillor Gail O’Neill on when the sea eagle sculpture will be installed at Kirra Hill