Christchurch's colourful urban sheep will be getting a change of scene when they're auctioned at November's local A &P Show.

The metal sheep were designed to serve as colourful traffic barriers after the earthquakes and attract people back into the city. 

They were designed by French industrial designer Christophe Machet. 

“They have proven very popular and we’ve had a number of requests over the years from people wanting to buy one of their own,’’ says Council Head of Urban Design, Regeneration and Heritage Carolyn Ingles.

“The time has come for us to decommission the sheep so we’ve decided to auction them off and donate the money raised to the Mental Health Foundation. The auction is going to be held during the New Zealand Agricultural Show, with several auctioned off live by the winner of the Young Livestock Auctioneer Competition and the rest available through silent auction at the show,’’ Ms Ingles says.

Around 30 sheep will be available to buy during the auction and the money raised will go to the Mental Health Foundation.

“We’re expecting there will be a lot of interest in acquiring the sheep because they’re really quirky and are also a symbol of Christchurch’s creativity in the wake of the earthquakes,’’ Ms Ingles says.

“The sheep won’t be disappearing from the central city landscape altogether. We’re planning on putting four of them back in High Street as sculptural seating so that the legacy of the urban sheep lives on.’'