Maritime museum may be established

A working maritime museum may be established at the Frankton Marina if a new lease is approved by the Queenstown Lakes District Council community services committee today.

Jo Conroy, of APL Property, said in her report to the committee the council owned an old cottage and a boatshed at the marina, both of which were in "a state of disrepair" and either needed to be refurbished or demolished.

The buildings sat between the Scout Den and the Fisherman's Pier.

In 2005, the Wakatipu Community Maritime Preservation Society Inc. was established to save the boatshed from demolition and raise money to restore it, slipways and an old ticket office.

"It is not for profit and they intend to undertake the refurbishment by fundraising.

They needed around $900,000 for the project and are reasonably close to achieving that figure," Ms Conroy said.

Once restoration was complete, the buildings would be used as a working maritime museum, with the slipway to be used for boat restoration - particularly for work on older, wooden boats.

"However, in order to fund the operation going forward, they intend to sub-lease a cafe on the premises.

"Their intention is to be self-sustaining, but not to generate profit."

The report said former council chief executive Duncan Field drafted a lease with the society in 2009 but it had not been considered by the committee, or completed.

The 33-year term would see rent of $1, plus GST, to retain and restore the buildings and carry out all necessary works and repairs to restore them to the lessee's satisfaction, and operate the buildings, when fully restored, as a commercial slipway and boatshed, maritime museum and cafe.

The boatshed, slipway and ticket office were listed in the inventory of protected features in the Partially Operative District Plan, with an inventory of the buildings in 2011 by the Historic Places Trust recommending they be restored.

Ms Conroy said a possibility of the society buying the buildings had been raised, but it needed certainty regarding land tenure to enable it to seek funding from the Lotteries Commission.

"If it transpires that sale of the buildings is a good option, then we will bring a further report to seek approval to do that.

"The proposed Frankton marina lease takes the continued existence of the facilities into account and granting this lease will not affect that process."

Ms Conroy recommended the committee approved the lease, subject to terms and conditions to be agreed by the Property Sub Committee.

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