It has been 21 years since the plan to change the sign was first mooted, and long-standing Mataura Community Board member and Gore district councillor Neville Phillips has been at the helm of the project.
Cr Phillips said good things came to those who wait.
The signs were at the northern and southern ends of the town.
"It’s been a long process.
"The thing about the sign is, there’s been a lot of mistakes made, but now we can see the end of it."
The finished product was going to look "really smart and I hope the painting will be done by Christmas Day".
"I have the paint, I’ve started to sand off the rust, I’ll prime it and paint it with the yellow and the blue underneath," he said.
Several reasons were behind the decades-long delay.
"A lot of bureaucracy, a lot of design work — and a lack of a contract was probably the reason it took so long."
He was happy the sign would not only be finished, but finished on budget.
"I’m just pleased for our Mataura residents.
"At the end of the day, we had set aside a certain budget and we’ve adhered to that as the community board.
"The [Gore District] Council has funded the rest, which is a good thing.
"It hasn’t cost the Mataura residents any more than what we asked for."
Cr Phillips said the sign was important to distinguish Mataura.
In 2005, the board knew something was needed to signify people were coming into a township on its own right, not just the Gore district.
