KEY POINTS:
Tauranga's proposed $23.5 million museum - which has yet to be given the final go-ahead by the public or city council - is on course to swallow up more than $2 million in costs this year.
The budget for the running costs of the waterfront museum in 2007/08 is $920,000 - all of which will be funded by the ratepayer.
Nearly $500,000 of the running costs has been budgeted to go on the salaries of seven permanent museum members of staff and one part-timer.
Tauranga City Council has stressed, however, that two of the positions may not be filled and that the money will be used elsewhere in the project.
The $427,000 which has not been budgeted for salaries will go on costs which include rent of the office and storage facility at Mt Maunganui, security, and communications and public relations.
On top of this, $1.17 million is in this year's Tauranga City Council capital budget for the project and will be spent on the resource consent preparation, building design and a preliminary exhibition development.
This figure also includes $206,000 expected to go on the geotechnical investigations for the preferred museum site over the harbour towards the southeastern end of The Strand waterfront.
But the total fees for the museum design - for four phases of the project through to the planned completion in 2011 - will be $1.456 million.
This cost includes architecture, structures, geotechnical design, mechanical and electrical services, data and telecommunications services, security and surveillance, fire engineering, landscape and acoustic design.
Building the museum is expected to cost $23.5 million. This includes the $1.17 million in this year's capital budget as well as the design fees. The council has to secure 50 per cent of the $23.5 million from sources other than rates. More than $5 million of the $11.75 million needed has already been pledged from organisations such as the Kaumatua (elders) Forum and Pub Charity.
However, the council says the cost of decommissioning the museum could be as much as $740,000 a year for up to 10 years until the collection of 30,000 items - ranging from cameras to christening gowns - currently in storage is dispersed.
Last month, it was revealed the winning design firm for the museum was Te Papa's creator Jasmax. The concept for the museum will be revealed on September 15 in the Bay of Plenty Times and on the council's website.
A resource consent application for the museum is to be lodged with Environment Bay of Plenty in October though this does not mean the project has been given final approval by the public or council.
The council says that being granted a resource consent means it will be able to progress a funding application to the Government for as much as $5 million.
Once there is an agreed design and 50 per cent of the funding then the council will be able to go out for formal consultation on the project in March 2008. City councillors are expected to take a final vote on the project in June next year.
In a $25,000 council-funded telephone survey last year, 49.6 per cent of the 1000 participants backed the museum, 30.8 per cent did not and 19.6 per cent were undecided.
Museum staff will be at the Tauranga Home Show this weekend to talk about the project.
Neil Anderson, museum establishment director, said he had received only two phone calls and two letters objecting to the museum. On the whole, he said, people he had spoken to were "really excited" about the project.
The people employed for the museum project are Mr Anderson, a curator, a curatorial assistant, a registrar and an administration officer.
-Bay of Plenty Times
