The council says MBIE is expected to make a decision by mid-year, but the redevelopment, or consideration of any closure would still have to be put-out for "extensive community consultation".
The council had budgeted a $10.2m city contribution, proposing to obtain funds from other sources, including now seeking up to $25m from government funding, and now a target of $40m from other investment, which could include other councils, iwi sources and philanthropic trusts and benefactors.
A council statement says as the business case was being prepared, itself costing over $700,000, issues relating to the state of the current facilities and new best-practice guidelines for aquarium design and animal welfare emerged.
Wise said the information was "completely unexpected".
"Unfortunately, unless this is adequately addressed, closure of the National Aquarium will have to be considered.
"We now know that the aquarium has approximately three to five years' operating life left," she said, a statement indicating the aquarium wouldn't make the 50th anniversary of the Marine Parade landmark's opening in 1976.
It was born in a fish club aquarium established 20 years earlier, and housed for some years in the basement of the War Memorial Centre.
"It would then need investment beyond what has been earmarked in the Long-Term Plan," Wise said.
"Without this redevelopment, closure would become inevitable.
"This is where the proposed new facility comes into its own – by creating a national centre that will provide a unique experience not found anywhere else in the world, showcasing research, education, environmental stewardship, indigenous knowledge and science," she said.
"What makes this proposed centre unique is the opportunity to tell the story of Aotearoa New Zealand from mountain top to deep trench. The aim is to promote the best of environmental science with Te Ao Māori, the Māori worldview and other indigenous peoples of the Pacific."
The business case has been submitted to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Provincial Development Unit, and is a culmination of months of national and international information gathering, including soliciting feedback from environmentalists, educators, researchers, iwi, youth and the public as well as engaging US aquarium architects EHDD and fundraising consultancy AskRIGHT.
The council says Project Shapeshifter is "not just an expansion" of the current aquarium, but a proposal to build a new, nationally significant National Aquarium and Oceans Centre. The project's vision is creating a place where land and sea are joined, where the stories of the ocean are told by hapū, conservationists, scientists, volunteers, and most importantly by the species that make the ocean their home.
The council says the current facility, including the original circular building, would have to be demolished, as it represents an outdated form of aquarium, in which exhibits of aquatic wildlife are set up for the public to view.
"In contrast, modern aquaria seek to inform and raise awareness of environmental issues and empower visitors to actively support the conservation of species and ecosystems through smaller actions or larger commitments," the council says.
The plan
• New building: 3702sq m.
• Existing building (refurbished): 1974sq m.
• External exhibits: 800sq m.
• Three major tanks exhibiting sub-tropical, temperate and kelp ecosystems.
• Seven smaller exhibits.
• Repurposes 2002 expansion building for education staff facilities.
• Demolish original 1973 building.
• Prospective opening 2025, run by independent charitable trust.
The cost
• Capital cost preferred option: $77.5 million (construction $65.6m, contingencies $7m, cost-escalation $4.9m. Additional capital costs of debt financing $3.4m, expenses for generating funding $2.4m.
Funding
• Napier City Council: $10 million.
• Application to Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) / Government Funding: $15m to $25m (PGF application pending).
• Revenue-generation opportunities: $40m.
