CLP Government set to sacrifice Tennant Creek lizard statue gateway

The CLP Government looks set to slash a key project, nine years after it was first announced. Read what it is and see the video.

The NT Government is staying silent about secret plans to kill off one of Tennant Creek’s two gateway lizards.

Barkly mayor Sid Vashist and the sculptor Steve Langton have raised concerns about the Country Liberal Party government’s plans for the entrance statement project.

Mr Vashist said he wants at least one of the lizards installed as soon as possible so taxpayers get some sort of return from the nine-year, $500k saga, and the other lizard completed later.

Mr Vashist said he believes the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure will cull one of the lizards to try and get something from the taxpayer investment.

Barkly mayor Sid Vashist. Picture: Facebook

Sunshine Coast-based Mr Langton, who has been silent as arguments have swirled around the lizards, confirmed to this masthead one of the lizards was gone.

“There’s only bad news in Lizard land,” he said.

“DLI have accepted one lizard which they want to either paint, or not display at all.

One lizard.

“Twelve thousand hours of solo effort wasted. Good onya little Aussie battler.”

Mr Langton forged for hours at Barkly Regional Arts preparing the sculptures, but has previously remained reticent to come forward as to the progress of the lizard sculptures.

To ensure authenticity, he spent long hours with TOs replicating in precise anatomical detail the lizard’s reptilian features.

Mr Vashist said the sculptor’s effort should be rewarded.

“It will be very disappointing if they’re both not put at the gateways,” Mr Vashist said.

“The artist has some serious concerns about the colouration of the lizard. (Barkly councillors) actually had a look at the lizard yesterday and there’s serious weather damage to it and rusting. It hasn’t been cared for and nothing has been done with it and it’s just been sitting there.

Steve Langton and a lizard.

“I think we really need to just focus on that lizard for starters and make sure that its secure and it stays immaculate and the colouration is right. The artist thinks the paint job the government might organise won’t do it justice.”

The project had its origins in the dying days of the last CLP Government when then opposition leader and Tennant Creek local Michael Gunner promised Labor would sculpt and install two five metre lizards at the town’s north-south gateways.

Mr Langton was contracted to do the sculptures, but it’s believed he realised he had underquoted once work had begun, and returned to the Gold Coast after about 18-months following a bicycle crash.

“It’s been definitely badly handled,” Mr Vashist said.

“These nyinkkas are world class and the nyinkka produced in Tennant Creek and sitting in front of us, I think its worth every dollar.

“These nyinkkas – if they’re at both entrances into Tennant Creek – and if you can produce another one like this they’ll be the talk of the town and the Northern Territory for years to come.

“I’m not satisfied with one. The whole point was to have nyinkkas at both gateways. The ‘Welcome to Tennant Creek’ sign is there and ready to go and it was going to complement our Indigenous culture and mining history and region as well.

He’s called on the government to come clean on the lizards’ futures.

“We just need them to answer the question. What are they going to do? Is there a new artist? Just talk to people. You can’t just sit there doing nothing because this is taxpayers money.

“A world class sculpture is getting rusty and deteriorating, suffering weather damage. Just get on with it. Far out. Don’t let this destroy it.

“The ball’s in the government’s court now. They are in control and there are questions they need to answer and they need to do it soon.”

He said he hoped the first lizard could be erected to coincide with the soft opening of the refurbished Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre expected in the first quarter of this year.

The government had not responded at the time of publication.

Originally published as CLP Government set to sacrifice Tennant Creek lizard statue gateway