In July this year, the Invercargill City Council opted to plough on with Te Unua — Museum of Southland, despite the build running millions of dollars over budget.
A series of options were presented to the public for consultation, ranging from $7million to $13m of additional council spend.
If the most expensive option was landed on — sticking with the original design — the total cost of the project could balloon to about $87m.
A total of 286 submissions were received by the council as part of its consultation, with 36% of respondents opting for the original design.
A cheaper option to reduce the museum’s digital experience and shave up to $6m off the maximum overspend was the next preferred option at 29%.
But the council also noted that pausing or stopping the project was not provided as an option and had been raised by about 16% of submitters.
Last Tuesday, a group of submitters shared their thoughts with the council at a hearing.
Former councillor Lloyd Esler said it was the contents of the museum that mattered, not the outside appearance.
He believed the digital elements of the museum were an "expensive luxury" which could be pared back.
Angela Newell spoke on behalf of Arts Murihiku and the Shakespeare in the Park Charitable Trust. Her message was clear: "Just be bold and do it."
"We need to think about the legacy we’re leaving for the children and grandchildren and the visitors who come to hear our stories," she said.
Invercargill Youth Council gave their preferred option as the status quo, suggesting the carpark could be removed for the purpose of green space.
Despite the status quo emerging as the most popular option in consultation, a ranking system gave the highest combined score to removing Green Star sustainability accreditation and delaying construction of a carpark.
By doing that, the council could keep the cost increase down to about $10.6m.
Te Unua — Museum of Southland is set to open in late 2026.— LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
