‘Future Generations Will Be Proud’ – Nelson Approves Museum’s Archive Plan

Friday, 5 September 2025, 3:23 pm
Article: Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter

Despite Nelson Mayor Nick Smith’s misgivings, he couldn’t stop the flood of support for the Nelson Provincial Museum’s archive facility. 

During its Thursday meeting, Nelson City Council approved the museum’s plan for building its new $9.8 million Archive, Research, and Collections (ARC) facility in Richmond. 

An earlier proposal to build the facility in central Nelson fell over after the price climbed to $14.9m and a key Government source of funding closed. 

There were tears of joy from museum representatives after the vote was passed 12–1. 

Venus Guy, chair of the Tasman Bays Heritage Trust which governs the museum, was relieved the vote had passed.

“Elected members at the end stuck to their values and actually made the right call, so [I’m] quite proud,” she said. 

“Future generations will be proud of us.” 

The new facility in Richmond will replace the current Isel Park Research Facility which has been independently described as “unfit in almost every measurable criteria” to house the museum’s $20m collection. 

Museum chief executive Lucinda Blackley-Jimson said the result was a “huge vote of support” for the organisation. 

“Many of us have been working on this for 10 years... It is really overwhelming.” 

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith has been vigorously fighting the Richmond proposal for the past fortnight but appeared to be only regional leader to oppose the plan. 

Instead, he has been advocating for a refurbishment of the Isel Park building which he said would be a lower cost for ratepayers. 

Tasman Mayor Tim King, whose council is a 50 per cent shareholder of the museum alongside Nelson, has previously endorsed the “pragmatic” plan to build in Richmond. 

The council meeting’s public forum was also filled with presentations supportive of the proposal from past and present city leaders. 

Former mayors Rachel Reese and Paul Matheson, and former deputy mayors Gail Collingwood and Judene Edgar, jointly presented in support of the museum and its Richmond plan. 

Reese highlighted the council’s “extraordinary” consultation feedback on the Richmond ARC plan which received 1305 submissions, with almost 86 per cent in favour of the proposal. 

Of respondents, 71.5 per cent were from Nelson. 

“You now have a very clear view of… what’s important to the community,” she said. 

Matheson urged the council to “go for it” as support for a new archive building has been historically difficult to garner in Tasman. 

The city’s Labour MP Rachel Boyack, her party’s spokesperson for Arts, Culture, and Heritage, also told elected members that the project was a “core” council service.

“It is actually the responsibility of our council to protect our heritage, because it helps us to tell our stories.” 

Jeremy Glasgow, a trustee of the Bett Collection Trust, said the state of Isel Park building discouraged donations to the museum’s collection because it wasn’t considered a “safe place” for historic items.

The trust has already contributed $150,000 to the ARC project. Local lawyer John Fitchett was the sole public forum presenter to oppose the Richmond ARC, saying that a facility could be acquired at half the price. 

To demonstrate his commitment to his idea, Fitchett bought the Big Save Furniture building on Haven Road at a price of $4.5 million – having paid the $100,000 deposit on Monday – to pressure the councils into seriously considering the option. 

“The agreement is conditional on me being satisfied as to due diligence, that condition has to be satisfied by 23rd September… You have nearly three weeks,” he said. 

“I don’t seek any recompense or payment. It's simply an attempt to assist my local council in saving some money.” 

The museum’s Guy and Blackley-Jimson fielded questions from elected members during the meeting.

They reiterated its oft-repeated consultation talking points, seeking to reassure elected members that the museum was financially prudent, its Richmond plan was sound, that its existing facility at Isel Park was unfit for purpose, and that it was vitally important to protect its $20m collection of international significance. 

In response to Mayor Smith’s explicit concerns about the ability of the museum to fundraise its remaining $1.12m shortfall, Guy said the museum had already received additional pledges totalling $150,000 over the past week, before the project even had certainty from the council. 

“Our community is ready and willing to back this project, they just need council to open the gate so we can all move forward together.” 

Several amendments were debated in the council chamber, including promptly investigating options for the future of the Isel Park facility once the museum moves out, withholding the council’s financial contribution until sufficient donations to the project were received, and imposing conditions on the sale of the museum’s central Nelson site to ensure prompt development. 

The only amendment that was passed was a direction for the council to work with the museum to ensure the lowest-possible interest rate for any loan it takes out to complete the ARC. 

Smith was the only elected member to vote against giving the project the green light. 

Now that Nelson City Council has approved the plan, and there were no difficulties expected at Tasman District Council which was expected make the same decision imminently, the museum hoped that it could “hit the ground running” and begin work soon. 

“We can’t wait,” Guy said. 

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

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