The feasibility study was commissioned last year because the management of the buildings and the large museum collection had become unsustainable for the volunteer museum group.
A report by Central Otago District Council property and facilities officer Christina Martin said the condition of the buildings came to a head in February 2017 when a contractor found a wall moved when touched.
The Vincent Community Board was told of the problem last month. A proposal for a feasibility study was costed at $103,403, which was intended to be externally-funded.
But due to a lack of funding, the study proposal was revised to try to identify ways to reduce the scope and for the committee to do some volunteer work in-house. The cost was revised to $74,555.
The Lotteries Commission granted $41,362 towards the original project, and the Central Lakes Trust granted $20,771. There were no other viable external funders, Ms Martin said.
The community board approved providing the shortfall of $12,422, to be funded by the council’s General Development Earnscleugh-Manuherikia Investment account, at its meeting yesterday.
