Southward Museum Trust opposed to Council’s roading plan

Southward Museum Trust are opposed to the Kapiti Coast District Council’s proposed roading plan that would see a large portion of the museum being demolished to make way for a new road.

The Council’s plan would see the Expressway run along the eastern side of the railway line and would result in an 80 metre corridor of land and building being taken from Museum Complex.

“If the Museum were to lose 80 metres of land and building for the road, almost our entire car viewing hall would have to be demolished,” said Manager and Trustee Stan Bellamore

Mr Bellamore went onto say “While we support improved roading and believe it is vital to increasing the number of tourists visiting the Kapiti Coast, we do not support the demolition of the Car Museum which is one of the largest tourist destinations on the Coast.”

Last year more than 46,000 visitors visited the car viewing hall at Southward Car Museum, around 40 per cent of these visitors being overseas tourists. These visitor numbers are for the car viewing hall only and do not include the large number of individuals, community groups, local schools and companies that held events in the Museum’s theatre and also on the land at the back of the museum.

Visitor numbers for 2009 are currently higher than the 2008 figures.

Background information

Southward Car Museum was opened in 1979 and houses a collection of over 350 vehicles. The museum is run by a charitable trust and the car collection was the work of the late Sir Len Southward and his wife Lady Vera Southward.

ENDS

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