HAC worth spurs offer to cover cost gaps

The running costs of the proposed Hundertwasser Art Centre will be underwritten by Northland Inc if the HAC goes ahead.

The offer from the economic development group could appease HAC opponents, many having concerns about the ongoing costs of the $13million centre to ratepayers.

The Whangarei District Council will meet on Wednesday to vote on whether to proceed with the project. This past week the project's $5million nonratepayer fundraising goal has been reached, to go with $8million pledged by the WDC.

However, it is no guarantee the project will proceed, with the HAC needing to survive Wednesday's political vote.

Northland Inc chief executive officer David Wilson said the group, which is largely ratepayer funded, believed the HAC would be a boon for the local economy and was well worth supporting.

"Not only does it stack up economically, it will enhance the vibrancy of the Town Basin and act as a catalyst for further developments," he said.

Northland Inc encouraged the council to support the project and had made a good-faith offer that if the project was approved, the body would undertake any further financial due diligence needed - and work on the council's behalf - to source the finance needed to fill any operational funding gaps.

If necessary, Northland Inc would fund the shortfall itself, but all other options would be looked at first.

"We don't want this opportunity to fall at the last hurdle. We wanted to come out and say we support the project and believe adding Hundertwasser to an already strong and developing regional offering in museums - including the wonderful developments at Waitangi for example - arts, culture and heritage will strengthen and lengthen the visitor experience," Mr Wilson said.

A WDC telephone survey on HAC found 53 per cent of respondents opposed the project, 28 per cent supported it and 19 per cent were not sure or not leaning either way.