By David Dunham
Tauranga has edged closer to a waterfront museum after only one councillor at a key meeting spoke out against building it there ahead of a crucial deciding vote this month.
At a council workshop yesterday, the only dissenting voice to the proposed site was Cr Bill Faulkner, who said the waterfront should not be cluttered with buildings.
Cr Faulkner said the marine environment should be kept for all things marine and the museum - which is expected to cost about $23 million and will probably open in 2011 - could be built anywhere.
But Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby countered this view by saying the museum could be built anywhere but "would not work everywhere".
Mr Crosby and Cr Faulkner were locked in debate at the end of a workshop when councillors were updated on the museum project ahead of a vote on February 26 on what site to choose.
Councillors were presented with the advantages and disadvantages of five locations for the museum, one of which was at the waterfront and would see a museum built on a new pier close to The Strand, just to the right of Spring St.
The other sites are two at Cliff Rd, one at an undisclosed CBD location and one on the public car park next to the art gallery being built on Willow St.
Once the council has chosen a site, designs and full costings, including operational costs, can then finally be produced.
This information will then be available ahead of a public consultation in March 2008 when people will be able to make submissions. A final decision on whether to build the facility will then be made.
If the council chooses the waterfront site it will go against the majority view of participants in its 2006 $25,000 telephone survey to test public opinion on the project - after which it was decided another consultation was needed.
In the telephone survey, 34.1 per cent of people said the museum should be built on council-owned land on Cliff Rd compared with 27.2 per cent who wanted it at the waterfront. But at yesterday's workshop, not a single councillor spoke out in favour of Cliff Rd.
Cr Bob Addison said he preferred the waterfront site as did Cr Anne Pankhurst, who said it had the potential to be recognised and admired from afar.
"If you think there will be an average of 600,000 to 800,000 people going there each year it will put a great focus on the waterfront," Cr Pankhurst added.
Cr Bob Tulloch said a waterfront museum would present great marketing opportunities while Cr Terry Molloy said the site would bring in the most people.
Christine Jones, City Directions group manager, told the workshop that choosing the waterfront would add to the "cultural heartbeat" of the city while Cr Mary Dillon also voiced support for the location.
Museum steering group chairman Michael Jones told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting that his group continued to back the waterfront.
However, he said it was very important a decision was made on a site soon so that the project could progress.
Tauranga City Council lists the advantages of a waterfront museum as follows:
The council lists the follwing as disadvantages: there would be negative impact on some views; parking would need to be provided off-site nearby
future expansion opportunities would be limited; it would encroach on the harbour.
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