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Rotorua Museum has been closed for earthquake strengthening since 2016. It won’t reopen until mid-to-late 2028- twelve years in which one of Rotorua’s most recognisable buildings has sat empty behind scaffolding.
But nobody has counted what it cost.
“Rotorua Lakes Council has not undertaken a formal assessment of the economic impact of the museum’s closure,” says Stewart Brown, Director, Museum & Heritage – Community Experience.
“Any estimate would be highly speculative, particularly given the significant effects of COVID-19 on visitor numbers and tourism over that period,” he says.
The visitor figures, at least, are known. “Before closing, Rotorua Museum attracted about 108,000 visitors annually,” Stewart says. “We anticipate similar visitor numbers when it reopens.”
The exhibition budget is a different matter. It sits $7–8 million short – money that must be found before the doors open.
“All efforts are being made to raise the necessary funds for the exhibition, and we are working towards a 2028 opening,” Stewart says.
But no fallback date is offered either.
Community Experience manager Alex Wilson says displaying works elsewhere was ruled out on cost grounds. But what a host venue would need is specific.
“The museum’s collection requires specialised climate control, security and fire protection systems to ensure its long-term care and protection and in Rotorua we also require a system that removes hydrogen sulphide from the air as that affects certain objects and works,” he says.
Geothermal sulphur- Rotorua’s signature smell is corrosive to the collection it sits beside.
“Establishing such a system at other venues was cost prohibitive,” Stewart says.
The works aren’t entirely invisible. “The museum has continued to loan works to other institutions during the closure,” he says.
Mayor Tania Tapsell says she’d welcome the works being displayed before 2028 if a suitable venue could be found. But whether anyone is actively searching, and whether any money sits behind that search, also isn’t clear.
Instead, the collection’s future is folded into a longer process.
“The Rotorua Museum art collection is an important community asset,” Stewart says. “Any future decisions about how it is managed, displayed, stored, or invested in would be considered as part of the next Long-term Plan, which helps guide Council’s future priorities and investment decisions in consultation with the community.”
“At this stage, Council has not commissioned a standalone review of the art collection,” he says.
