The Nelson Provincial Museum wants to build its new archive in Richmond after a funding shortfall saw its central Nelson plan paused. 

For a year, the museum has been investigating options for the future of its planned Archive, Research, and Collection (ARC) Facility. 

Its current facility at Isel Park has been independently described as “unfit in almost every measurable criteria” to house the museum’s $20 million collection. 

It has a poor layout, asbestos hazards, mould, and electrical problems, and was too small, at risk of flooding, and leak-prone, with buckets littering the ground and plastic sheeting covering the collections. Last year, some items were damaged after heavy rainfall. 

The Tasman Bays Heritage Trust governs the museum and chair Venus Guy said a new facility was urgently needed. 

“We need to move the precious taonga we care for into a purpose-built facility as soon as possible, otherwise we risk losing it.” 

The original plan was to build on a Church Street site adjacent to the museum, but its price inflated to $14.9 million and was later left with a $7m shortfall after the Government closed its Regional Culture and Heritage Fund, which was hoped to cover most of the remaining budget. 

However, a new plan to build in Richmond West, in Tasman, has lowered the projected cost to $9.8m.

The greenfield site offers lower construction costs as the building would just be a single storey, as opposed to three on the constrained Church Street site, and would have more floor space and room to grow the collection. 

The museum’s exhibition space would remain at its current site in Nelson. 

On Monday, Nelson City Council began a two-week period of consultation on the plan. The council is a 50 per cent shareholder in the museum, alongside Tasman District Council. 

Consultation was required because the project is no longer located in central Nelson, and the proportion of council funding was greater. 

The trust wanted approval before October so the land, which was currently being held, could be purchased, and to secure a fixed-price contract for construction. 

Museum chief executive Lucinda Blackley-Jimson was “optimistic” that the plan would get the sign-off.

“The trust really worked very hard with the design team and the architects over the last year to bring the cost down and find an alternative that is going to be affordable for the ratepayers.” 

Shifting the project to Richmond still left a shortfall of $1.2m, “but that’s significantly better to go and raise than $7 million”, Blackley-Jimson said. 

“We’ve also got a lot of supporters who have said, ‘Yeah, we’ll come on board, but we just need the certainty that it’s going ahead.’” 

Selling the Church Street property, which had grown in value, would help offset sunk costs, and much of the design work could also be transferred to the Richmond site, she added. 

“We actually have a developer who is quite interested in being able to turn that into a commercial development with retail and apartments, so it would really add to… the liveability and vitality of the city. I think it’s a win-win.” 

Nelson MP Rachel Boyack, who is the Labour Party’s spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage, applauded the plan. 

“While it is disappointing the original new facility couldn’t be built in Church Street after the National Government cut funding for projects, I am delighted that the Nelson Provincial Museum team have come up with a sensible Plan B that will ensure our local heritage can be saved.” 

But it’s not smooth sailing for the ARC after Nelson Mayor Nick Smith opposed the project, citing existing strains on ratepayers. 

“I know some people will call me a killjoy for not supporting this project,” he said. 

“But reroofing and refurbishing the existing Isel Park facility is a far more cost-effective way of safeguarding the museum’s collection”. 

However, Blackley-Jimson had said there are so many problems with the Isel Park facility, which has had “significant amounts of money” spent on it each year, and it couldn’t simply be reroofed. 

“It’s just absolutely not suitable whatsoever, and it’s not going to be able to be made suitable,” she said. 

“The time’s come; if we don't get a new facility now, it’ll just be putting another band-aid on top of it.”

Smith said the short consultation period was “unfair” to ratepayers and seeking a decision before the October local election was “unwise”. 

He specifically raised concerns about the level of spending on the project to date, the remaining shortfall, and the debt likely to be incurred by the project. 

“This unfounded optimism of the trust has resulted in a waste of ratepayers’ money and is a cause for caution,” he said. 

“The only way that councils can tame excessive rate increases is to better control spending and find less costly solutions.” 

The two councils have already earmarked just over $3 million for the project each. 

Tasman Mayor Tim King, however, welcomed the proposal, which he described as a “good outcome” for both the museum and for Nelson, with a “prime” central city location being freed up for another purpose. 

“It’s a pragmatic approach to securing the future of what is a very valuable collection, both in terms of monetary value, but more importantly in terms of its value to the history of the region.” 

Consultation closes on 28 August. Residents can have their say online at shape.nelson.govt.nz. 

-Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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