John Hawkins / Stuff
Southland Museum and Art Gallery closed in 2018 due to safety concerns in the event of an earthquake. [File photo]
Invercargill City Council has given the green light for a new museum for the city.
For the council’s long-term 2021-203 plan, it committed to invest $39.4 million to redevelop the museum and art gallery in the region, and agreed to see if a new building would better meet the needs of the community. region.
The Southland Museum and Art Gallry was closed permanently in 2018 due to the risk of earthquakes.
On June 28, the council approved its 2022-2023 annual plan, which included approval of a proposed new construction for the museum.
Consultation for the Annual Plan took place in April and the community was given three options to choose from.
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The first option was to strengthen and refurbish the existing Southland Museum and Art Gallery. The second was two new builds, one was 4150m2 and the other 3550m2, and the third option was a smaller new build.
While the larger new building was the council’s first preferred option, after feedback from the community during the consultation, councilors chose to proceed with option 3, the smaller new building.
ICC Councilor and Chair of Performance, Policy and Partnerships Darren Ludlow said option 3 was chosen because it was the most prudent option.
While that option was smaller than the preferred option, it would still be larger than current on-site and off-site storage, meaning more usable space available for exhibits and staff, he said.
“Basic living costs are rising along with construction costs… We are aware that people are struggling, and the decisions here reflect that.”
As part of the chosen build, a new home for the tuatara will be purpose-built on the Queens Park site and a separate museum and art storehouse will be built off site in Tisbury.
“Discussions are underway with iwi and the Department of Conservation before final decisions are made on both taonga,” he said.