Construction on the Rotorua Museum building begins this month. Photo / Andrew Warner
Construction on the Rotorua Museum building begins this month. Photo / Andrew Warner
There are signs of activity at Rotorua’s long-closed museum as construction on the iconic building begins this month - and an extra funding source is secured.
Rotorua Museum - Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa closed due to earthquake risk in 2016 and Rotorua Lakes Council expects it will cost $73.55 million to fully restore it.
The council, which is co-funding the project with several other contributors, announced in April it had secured the final funding needed and awarded the construction contract to Watts & Hughes - the company that managed the museum’s south wing extension, which was completed in 2011.
A section of Oruawhata Drive in the inner-city Government Gardens has now been closed.
New Zealand Community Trust today awarded the council a $400,000 grant to be spread over four years to aid in the strengthening, restoration and redevelopment of the museum.
In a statement, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said there was strong support from the community to have the “well-loved” building reopened and the funding was another step towards that happening.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell announced in April the Rotorua Museum build would get under way in June. Photo / Laura Smith
The council’s arts, culture and mahi toi manager, Stewart Brown, said the museum used to attract about 100,000-120,000 visitors each year.
“The restoration project promises significant economic benefits, including job creation and increased investment.
“The museum’s reopening will bolster Rotorua’s identity as a world-class tourism destination and a vital cultural hub. The museum houses a nationally significant collection of over 55,000 objects, including social history artifacts, art, photography, and more than 2000 taonga Māori.”
Restoring the museum was initially expected to cost $53.85m but cost estimates grew.
Elected members and the public were last year presented with several options: fully restore and reopen the museum as planned, stretching the project out in stages; or move the museum and find an alternative use for the bath house building - which is more than a century old and has a Category 1 heritage building rating.
Rotorua Museum - Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa will undergo earthquake strengthening from June. Photo / Laura Smith
Councillors voted to fully restore the building and aimed to keep the council’s share of funding within the $15.5m it budgeted for the project.
Central government in April agreed to add an extra $5m to its $17m contribution, meaning the build was entirely funded and the council would not need to put more ratepayer money into it.
Fundraising would continue for the exhibition work.
Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
