Tairāwhiti Museum’s lease signed, plans for roof repair

With its lease agreement and contract of services signed with Gisborne District Council, Tairāwhiti Museum is looking ahead to such projects as repairing its leaking roof.

It is business as usual at Tairāwhiti Museum.

That is how Gisborne District Council operations sub-committee chairman Andy Cranston described the museum’s 2025-26 annual plan.

He was speaking after museum director Tapunga Nepe presented the plan.

Nepe said the lease agreement and contract of services had been signed with the council.

A key part of both the previous and current annual plans was the joint asset management plan.

That had resulted in the completion of the Lysnar House roof, he said.

Lysnar House, behind the museum, is used by The Gisborne Artists’ Society and Gisborne Pottery Group for art workshops and tuition.

“Now Tairāwhiti Museum will start to plan around the roof for the museum,” Nepe said. “Hopefully, we will get into that sometime this year.“

The leaking roof had been a concern for the museum for many years, as internal guttering and complex rooflines had deteriorated in the 45-year-old building.

Nepe said highlights in the annual plan included exceeding the museum’s yearly target of 45,000 visitors to the museum (it had 56,108) and exceeding its education target of 8600 students visiting.

Councillor Colin Alder, noticing council grants had increased to $775,000 in 2025-26 from $735,000 the previous year, asked if the museum was asking for more money.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the grants were in the council’s three-year plan.

Councillor Rob Telfer said it was good to see the museum’s deficit had fallen from $179,000 last year to $90,000.

While the museum was “a community good,” the deficit was still concerning, and he asked if there were any plans, such as earning more revenue.

Nepe said the deficit included non-cash depreciation of $120,000 and a special project fund, now completed, which resulted in two new staff members.

The museum should be out of deficit by its next annual plan, he said.

Tairāwhiti Museum Trust Board chairman Paora Tibble honoured the 21 years of service from recently retired chairman Michael Muir.

Tibble said Muir had helped look after taonga and the heritage of the district. The Friends of Tairāwhiti Museum would determine his replacement.

The other trustees are Jennie Harré Hindmarsh, Kristine Walsh and Fleur Gardiner (Friends of Tairāwhiti Museum), Allan de Lautour, and one other to be appointed by Gisborne District Council.

Iwi representatives are Pene Brown (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), Steve Gibbs (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri), Romia Whaanga (Rongowhakaata), Cynthia Sidney (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti) and Tibble (representing Ngāti Porou).