June vote set for Town Basin plan

More details and costings of the Harbourside proposal for the old former Northland Harbour Board building have been released.

Northland art, culture and history come together in a $5million proposal for Whangarei's second-oldest ratepayer-owned building.

More details and costings of the Harbourside proposal for the old former Northland Harbour Board building have been released in a council agenda ahead of Wednesday's Whangarei District Council meeting.

A binding referendum to determine whether the Harbourside or Hundertwasser and Wairau Maori Art Centre proposals are chosen, or if the building will be demolished, will be held on June 5.

Future Whangarei's latest proposal includes using the building to showcase maritime and harbour history, local Maori, Nova Scotian and Dalmation history, as well as Northland and Maori art.

It also includes "New Zealand's first by Maori for Maori contemporary art gallery".

"This will be the first gallery in New Zealand dedicated to exhibiting the works of Maori artists - many of who are from the North," the proposal said.

Visitor numbers are projected to reach 70,000 people a year - broken down to 30,000 adults (paying $10), 30,000 senior citizens (paying $8) and 10,000 children (paying $3).

Combined with rents, souvenir sales and donations, Harbourside backers have projected the centre's annual income to be $658,000.

Expenses - including power, salaries and insurance, among others - are estimated at $399,400, leaving a surplus of $258,600. The cost of the building itself has been estimated at $5million - including $800,000 for seismic strengthening, $390,000 for roof replacement, $1.2million for interior upgrading, $200,000 for lift and access upgrade, $600,000 for interior soft fit-out and $200,000 for collection, storage and climate control. Open space landscaping is estimated to cost $500,000, engineering and architectural $180,000, and project management consultants $180,000.

Backers propose to form a charity called Harbourside Community Trust to manage the project and also make potential funding sources available, the proposal said. The referendum to determine the fate of the building at the Town Basin is being held months after initially planned.

Whangarei District Council members voted last November to hold the referendum in March this year, after a rowdy meeting where insults were thrown and traditional protocol ignored.

But the agenda for Wednesday's meeting reveals it would not be possible for the council to hold the referendum next month due to strict electoral laws requiring 89 days from commencement of the referendum to completion.