Help sought for $25 million museum refurbishment
THE Otago Museum is asking for help from the Dunedin City Council as it faces a bill of up to $25 million for upgrades over the next decade.
Museum director Ian Griffin told yesterday’s council 10year plan hearing the museum had coped with a flat operational budget allocation from the council over the past seven years.
However, with no increase in its capital budget included in the council’s plan for the next decade, Dr Griffin said the council needed to reconsider.
He asked councillors to consider adding a $1.9 million allocation to its books, spread over the decade, to help pay for capital improvements at the museum.
‘‘Our museum has got significant challenges going forward.’’
The museum already generated nearly 50% of its operating costs from its own commercial activities, which compared fav ourably with other museums across New Zealand and internationally, but was unlikely to be able to improve that significantly, Dr Griffin said.
It had also already managed to invest in new facilities, including the planetarium and Tuhura science centre, within its budget constraints.
Otago Museum had received a $300,000 increase in its capital budget three years ago, earmarked for specific projects, but the latest 10year plan proposed only a 3% increase in the museum’s operating budget.
And, with nine major galleries all needing refurbishment, having last been upgraded nearly 20 years ago, and other improvements to make, the museum was facing a total bill of between $16 million and $25 million, Dr Griffin explained.
That would cover the cost of everything from earthquakestrengthening and fire safety improvements to raising the museum’s atrium guardrail ‘‘to stop people jumping over’’, he said.
The museum would seek the majority of funds from other external sources, but adding $1.9 million to the council’s budget would bring the museum into line with Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, he said.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the council would receive a report on the funding request ‘‘in relatively short order’’, and would consider it during deliberations on the 10year plan.