$2m city kakapo facility proposed
The Invercargill City Council is investigating the setup of a tuatara and kakapo facility in Queens Park.
Information on the proposed facility was received at a meeting of the council’s infrastructure and services committee yesterday.
The development, proposed for the north side of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, will undergo a full feasibility study and business case.
Speaking at the meeting, the council building assets and museum manager Paul Horner said they wanted council’s approval of the proposal before moving ahead.
A tourism consultant would look at the types of enterprises that had wildlife in them similar to what the museum already had, Horner said. ‘‘I was surprised to find that there’s 16 other places that had tuatara in New Zealand.’’
There may be one other type of natural heritage species in the facility as well, such as skinks or lizards, to complement the tuatara, he said.
Cr Lloyd Esler the idea had slowly taken shape over the years.
‘‘I would see this as a potential significant attraction for the town,’’ he said. ‘‘I think this is a step in the right direction by getting that feasibility study, that will give us something to work with.’’
Horner said Venture Southland would provide $15,000 to pay for a consultant to assist with the business case.
The funding of the project itself would be commercially based and was expected to be supported by loan funding and, hopefully, a grant application for a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Tourism Growth Partnership Fund. The case would include tourism product concept development, forecast operational budget, building plans and costs.
A report to the councillors prepared by Horner says the facility must be self-funding, and be able to charge entry fees. The facility would provide value for money for ratepayers and a unique tourism product in line with the Southland Regional Development Strategy, the report says. ‘‘[It will] convert existing visitors into paying customers.’’
In 2015, a proposal was presented to the council for a tuatara and kakapo facility. Research and expert analysis was continuing, to build on the council’s 2015 plan.
Floor plans indicated construction cost would likely be about $2 million. The cost was likely to rise above $2m, once start up operational costs and amendments to the building plan were considered, the report says.
The council and Venture Southland were working together to complete concept development.
Venture Southland has long bemoaned the lack of paid-entry and commissionable tourism products in the region.
The sense was that the region needed more tourism products, which could be sold by travel agents. An attraction such as the tuatara and kakapo facility would make it easier for the agents to market Southland throughout the country.
The report says there was potential to co-locate the Department of Conservation’s Kakapo Recovery Programme to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. A survey of 200 museum visitors in December and January would be used to forecast tourism growth.
Venture Southland had also engaged an independent consultant to review the concept.
The cost and scope of the project, with the completed business case, would be bought back to the committee for consideration on April 3.