Source: Radio New Zealand
Canterbury Museum’s redevelopment had an original budget of $205 million, which has now been pushed out to almost $262 million. Supplied/Canterbury Museum
Canterbury Museum is pleading for councils and central government to stump up an extra $64 million for its cost-plagued redevelopment following another budget blow-out.
The project had an original budget of $205 million, which rose to $247m last year, but escalating construction costs and funding delays had now pushed it to almost $262m.
Museum trust board chair David Ayers said the board needed help plugging a shortfall of almost $92m to keep the museum on track to open in mid-2029.
“Throughout the redevelopment project, we’ve continued to undertake value engineering and make compromises to reduce costs. We’ve now exhausted all feasible options for reducing costs without undermining the building’s functionality or asset life,” he said.
The board was calling for $26.9m from Christchurch ratepayers over four years, in addition to $2.4m from the Selwyn district, $2.1m from Waimakariri and $300,000 from Hurunui.
It had made a request to the central government through Minister for the South Island James Meager for $32m over four years to match the local government contribution.
This year’s bid follows a failed attempt last year to secure funding.
The museum trust board made its case to the Christchurch City Council on Tuesday morning.
Deputy director Sarah Murray told councillors there would be an economic benefit to the city.
“When the museum reopens, it’s estimated there will be 800,000 visitors a year to the museum. We’re forecast then to generate around $83 million in regional and economic activity in that year alone. That will benefit local accommodation providers, businesses, retail and transport services,” she said.
The museum was also proposing an entry fee for overseas visitors.
Ayers said a cost review had found the museum needed a higher contingency allowance to complete the final two construction stages – the new basement and building and their fit-out – to give greater confidence that the project cost or schedule would not be exceeded.
The contingency allowance had been increased to $9.8m and a six-month delay in securing additional funding has added $5.1m to the project’s cost.
Ayers said the museum had hoped to secure additional capital last year so the final two stages of construction could be completed simultaneously, which would have saved money.
“Further delays in securing the extra capital will just keep adding to the cost – $7.2 million a year – and will push the opening date to 2030,” Ayers said.
Canterbury Museum was a significant heritage building and one of the last major public buildings to be fully upgraded and reopened since the Canterbury earthquakes, he said.
“It’s also much more than a public attraction and shouldn’t be viewed solely through the heritage buildings we occupy. The services we deliver define our public value,” Ayers said.
“We care for a collection of 2.3 million objects which tell the stories and history of Canterbury and the people who live here. We look after an internationally significant Antarctic collection and a quarter of Aotearoa New Zealand’s nationally distributed collection. Like libraries, museums are critical civic infrastructure, central to learning, identity, discovery and cultural life.”
Funding for the redevelopment had come from the museum’s own funds ($63.4m), private donations ($1.05m), grants and lotteries funding ($850,000), central government ($35m) and local government ($69.8m), including $24.5m from Christchurch City Council for strengthening the Robert McDougall Gallery.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
