Council Seeks Public Input on Budget Options for Southland’s New Museum

• Invercargill City Council opens public consultation on funding options for the new Southland museum.
• Four budget options presented, including cost-saving measures and project scope adjustments.
• Community feedback will help determine the museum’s final budget and design priorities.

Invercargill City Council is inviting residents to participate in shaping the final budget for Southland’s new museum. The Council has opened submissions for the public consultation titled “Funding the Vision.” The community is asked to choose from four proposed options to address a budget shortfall for the regional museum, which is planned to open in late 2026.

The options range from implementing cost-saving measures, such as postponing the car park and forgoing Green Star Accreditation, to maintaining the current design plans, which would require an increased budget for both the building and the museum experience.

Councillor Grant Dermody highlighted the financial challenges the project faces, stating, “The museum governance group and project teams have worked really hard to limit the cost increases on this important community project but we are seeing this around the country, including locally the Hawthorndale Care Village project, that other big projects are having similar challenges.”

He also stressed the need for community involvement, saying, “We want to hear from the community about what level of funds they believe should be invested in the museum experience, car parking and green star accreditation.”

The museum project team delivered the final layout and cost estimations in July 2024, revealing that the plans exceeded the original budget. “While the designs promise an impressive and modern facility celebrating the story of Southland, the plans have exceeded the original budget,” said Erin Moogan, Invercargill City Council Group Manager Infrastructure.

The four options for addressing the budget shortfall include moving forward with the full project scope at an estimated cost of $87 million, which is $13 million over the original budget. Alternatively, the Council could remove Green Star Accreditation, reducing the cost to $86.2 million.

The preferred option would delay the construction of a 71-space car park and remove the Green Star Accreditation, lowering the budget to $84.7 million. The final option involves scaling back the digital and static experiences within the museum, potentially saving an additional $1.8 to $3.8 million.

The current budget stands at $74.1 million, with $63.9 million allocated for the museum. The Council has funded $57.1 million of this budget, with additional external funding yet to be secured.

The public consultation period runs until 5pm on 23 September 2024. During this time, ongoing work will continue on the museum project, including developing experience content and preparing for building foundation work. The Council will hold a hearing on 8 October for public submissions, with a final decision expected on 22 October.