Moving the Wellington Museum from the heritage-listed Bond Store on the capital’s waterfront to the Tākina convention centre could cost $15 million, but the public purse might not need to pay the entire amount.
By Justin Wong of Local Democracy Reporting
Wheako Pōneke Experience Wellington, the Wellington City Council-owned trust that operates the museum along with other attractions such as Space Place and Nairn St Cottage, will ask city councillors later this month for $6.3m to fit out museum in the convention centre that opened in 2023.
The trust planned to cover the rest using its own reserves and through fundraising.
The option is significantly cheaper than spending up to $28m to keep the museum at the Bond Store, according to estimates the trust presented at a council workshop last week, on top of the tens of millions required to earthquake strengthen the Category 1 heritage-listed building.
Analysis from 2023 suggested that keeping the museum at the Bond Store could cost between $40m-$100m in total.
Martin Matthews, the trust’s chairperson and a former auditor-general, told councillors moving to Tākina was the "most fiscally responsible" way out. "The Tākina option provides, essentially, a purpose-built gallery space that can be easily fitted out for the museum experience."
Tākina has held recent exhibitions including Michelangelo - A Different View, Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder and Jurassic World by Brickman, with mixed success.
In 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon criticised the $180 million convention centre as an example of wasteful council spending.
Being in the convention centre could reshape the museum to convey the capital’s history in a "more modern way", Matthews continued. He added the trust was not entering the debate about the building’s heritage value.
"We recognise it’s a lovely building, but we also recognise anything you might decide with that building comes with a very big price tag."
Dating back to 1892 and designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere, the Bond Store once housed the Wellington Harbour Board head offices.
Deputy mayor Ben McNulty said in July he wanted the Bond Store sold off, arguing public money should go toward earthquake strengthening buildings with greater public utility, such as the Michael Fowler Centre.
"The best option, if we want to keep that building, is that we move the museum, sell [the building] off, and get Wellington ratepayers out of another strengthening quagmire," McNulty said.
Historic Places Wellington chairperson Felicity Wong argued the Bond Store would not need earthquake strengthening until 2034 under new legislation, meaning work on specific areas could be spread across years.
"It does not need to be addressed [all] at once. ... A prudent approach would be to actually cost the work, and consider a range of technological solutions over time."
– Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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