Rotorua Museum has been closed for earthquake strengthening since 2016 and is due to reopen in 2028. Photo / Mathew Nash
Residents of the wider Bay of Plenty will no longer be guaranteed free entry into the Rotorua Museum once it reopens after agreement to remove this condition from a $4.1 million grant.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council agreed yesterday to remove the condition after a request from the grant’s recipient, Rotorua Lakes Council.
Rotorua residents would still get free entry to the museum, Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa.
The iconic heritage building has been closed for earthquake strengthening since 2016 and was not expected to reopen for another two years.
Thursday’s decision followed a lengthy discussion in which several regional councillors expressed unease about the original decision to provide the funding.
The regional council made the grant in 2021 as part of its Long-Term Plan, initially for exhibition development before later allowing the funding to be used for construction.
The free entry condition would have applied for the first three years after reopening.
In January, Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Andrew Moraes wrote to the regional council requesting the condition be waived.
His letter cited concerns including potential rates caps, economic pressures, national policy changes, rising costs, unexpected closures and the long-term financial sustainability of the museum.
Regional councillors ultimately voted to remove the clause.
Rotorua representative Raj Kumar, a former district councillor, said it was time to “get this thing open”, but described the redevelopment as a “bottomless pit” for funding.
He also questioned whether the museum would prove a strong drawcard, noting local attendance was limited before its closure.
“I am telling you, honestly, from the bottom of my heart, having been in Rotorua for 26 years, nobody from my suburb is going to say, ‘oh, we are going to plan a free day at the museum’,” he said.
He also doubted it would attract visitors from the wider region.
“Who is going to travel from Ōpōtiki for this?”
Tauranga councillor Stuart Crosby said the condition would have been difficult to administer.
Visitors being “interrogated” about where they were from would not be “a nice first entrance into what is going to be a national icon”.
Western Bay councillor Ken Shirley said the condition was “unwise and impractical”, but went further, questioning the grant itself.
“It is hard to justify,” he said. “I don’t know why we did it as a council. It is out of scope.”
Eastern Bay councillor Sarah McCorkindale agreed.
She said she would not have supported the funding and suggested resources would have been better directed towards issues such as lake biosecurity in Rotorua.
Rotorua councillor Anna Grayling said she was “challenged” by the original decision, but acknowledged the benefit for Rotorua residents.
That point drew criticism from councillors Tim Maltby and John Scrimgeour.
“Seems to me the rest of the Bay is missing out,” Maltby said.
“I don’t know if having it free for Rotorua but not the Bay will bring the gains it anticipates,” Scrimgeour added.
Kōhi Māori councillor Mawera Karetai had reservations about the change, rejecting the idea that administering a free-entry policy would be too costly and difficult.
“If we make a deal, we make a deal and we should stick to the deal,” she said.
In a statement to Local Democracy Reporting, Moraes said Rotorua Lakes Council was grateful for the support of funding partners, describing it as instrumental in progressing a museum that would deliver long-term value to the region.
He said maintaining affordable rates remained a priority and cost reductions needed to be explored.
“Locking in a prolonged free-entry period would remove an important revenue stream and reduce the council’s ability to respond to future challenges,” he said, citing economic shifts, rising operating and insurance costs, and changes in visitor numbers.
“Maintaining flexibility helps protect ratepayers and ensures the museum can adapt over time.”
He said the change would not negatively affect visitor numbers or the museum’s cultural impact.
“Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is an iconic attraction, and greater financial flexibility will help ensure it remains vibrant, accessible and sustainable for future generations.”
Rotorua Lakes councillors were updated on the museum project’s progress at a meeting on Wednesday.
The museum, closed since November 2016 after sustaining damage in the 7.8-magnitude Kaikōura earthquake, is now scheduled to reopen in mid-2028.
Construction remains on track for completion by September, with the $73.55m funding for building and design secured.
A $7.8m shortfall remains for the exhibition development, which has a $9.51m target. Community experience group manager Alex Wilson said any additional funding would go directly towards exhibition spaces.
The council has identified a $2.5m sponsorship opportunity and raised more than $30,000 through its “1000 Friends” campaign so far, along with $5000 from art sales.
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in Britain for eight years.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.