FAQs

Public feedback during the Long Term Plan consultation made it clear that people wanted to see the facility reopened, however, there were differing views about options for the future, with some people agreeing the refurbishment of the pyramid was the right way to go, and others suggesting a rebuild would be better. As a result, the Council decided to look a little deeper into the options, forming a Governance Group to advise on a future cultural facility for Invercargill and consider a range of options. We now want your feedback on the options considered so we can make decisions for the future.

The new facility has been gifted the name Te Unua by Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Rūnanga o Awarua.

Te Unua is a reference to the double hulled, voyaging waka as a reflection of several dualities – mana whenua and tauiwi, arts and museum, coast and urban, Aotearoa and the world.

Waihōpai Rūnaka representative Evelyn Cook says Unua speaks of journeys and exploration, of shared journeys and individual strands, the achievements of communities and individuals. The strength of Te Unua is that if both parts work together you can reach your ultimate destination.

Under proposed plans, the museum is scheduled to be opened in 2027.

The existing pyramid building had to be closed in 2018 due to the fact it did not meet earthquake building code and is considered a significant safety risk. As work has progressed on options to reopen the facility, it has become clear that significant work and cost would be incurred to bring the pyramid building to 67% of New Building Standards – the minimum allowed for existing buildings. During public consultation in 2021, the idea of a new build was raised and the option of a new, modern facility that meets all building standards and can offer larger spaces has arisen.

There will be plenty of free parking available at the new facility.

We know the local community has developed a strong connection to the pyramid over the years. While the building would need to be demolished to make way for a new structure, we would like to work with the community to capture the memories and feelings associated with the pyramid as part of the process.

Through the reimagining phase it was agreed that a new enclosure for the tuatara should be built separate from the new cultural facility but remaining within Queens Park. It was also agreed they should have some level of visibility and accessibility within Te Unua. Tuatara are now seen by many as an important part of the Invercargill and Southland story. However, Council does not own the tuatara so we are talking with iwi and the Department of Conservation about the proposed changes to ensure the solution is suitable for everyone.

Entry to the main areas of the museum will be free for locals and visitors alike. Special exhibitions will require an entry fee.

Entry and public spaces will lead through to a multi-use space for temporary displays, functions (suitable for holding medium sized groups), pōwhiri and other cultural welcoming ceremonies. The public spaces will have easy flow between key visitor touchpoints with links to the nearby exhibition spaces on ground and upper levels. Exhibition spaces will include longterm storytelling, shorter-term exhibitions, space for special exhibitions and touring shows, and an education exhibition space. Both new build options will provide greater opportunity for visiting exhibitions.

Each option has a different cost. The full details on costs and the impact on rates can be found on page 5 of the Consultation Document.

Council will be required to underwrite all costs. This means that if external funders provide less than expected, Council will need to make up the shortfall and this will need to be paid from rates.

There was strong public feedback in 2021 that Queens Park is the right location for Te Unua and the Council has decided it should remain there. A separate storage facility is planned off-site on Tisbury Reserve.

Right now, these are being catalogued to go into long-term storage at the planned new facility. These will be used in the long-term and short-term storytelling spaces in Te Unua as well as part of other changing exhibitions.

The delivery of the new cultural facility in 2026-27 is intrinsically linked to a storage solution. The reimagining phase tested and confirmed the preferred location for Te Unua as Queens Park; however, this approach will require the alternative storage solution to be completed and the collection decanted in full by early 2024. Should the storage project be delayed, this will impact the start date and potentially the completion date of Te Unua. To mitigate the risk to the Te Unua programme, the Project Control Group agreed to decouple the storage project from the delivery of the new facility. There is funding available within the Long Term Plan ($4.5m) to allow this process to commence immediately, reducing any delay associated with the public consultation of Te Unua. It has been estimated that the design and construction period for a new storage facility is 24 months. The new location meets requirements for seismic and flooding risk management.

Further consideration for temporary storage should be carried through to the next phase of the project; should the storage project experience delays that negatively impact Te Unua construction programme ie. delay the commencement of demolition.

Arts and Creativity Invercargill (ACI) is a facility to enable art activity in the central city. This project is still planned for delivery in 2027 – 2030. Council will consider the projects focus as part of future planning.

The museum is an integral part of the Invercargill community and people have strong feelings about what happens next. The redevelopment of the facility will also cost ratepayers a significant amount of money and will result in an outstanding facility for the region and visitors alike. It’s important to take time to hear from experts, compare with other facilities and listen to public views to make sure we get the best possible outcome for Invercargill.

Earthquake building standards mean the museum is unsafe for public. Workers are allowed on site to carry out essential work under strict health and safety guidelines and following correct procedures.

The pyramid shape is not intended to be replicated in any of the proposed new builds. The Council does, however, recognise the community’s affiliation with the pyramid and would like to consider how memories and feelings could be shared through the redevelopment process.

Te Unua will reflect modern exhibition and display techniques and include special technological features. This may include virtual or augmented reality displays as well as screens and other tech concepts. There will be more options to include these in the new build options.

While the building in the inner city that is host to He Waka Tuia has been identified as an earthquake-prone building, Council is working with the landlord of the building to address the identified issues. This building is not considered to be the same level of critically earthquake-prone as the pyramid.

No decision has been made on the future of He Waka Tuia after Te Unua is opened, but it will remain open until then.

The 2022/2023 Annual Plan is based on Year 2 of the 2021 – 2031 Long-term Plan. Updated economic information like inflation is used, alongside updated project information and information from managers to produce a draft budget and forecast rates increase. Councillors consider this budget and make decisions on items they require to be added or removed. Following consultation, the budget is finalised incorporating the Councillors decisions and any further changes needed as a result of updated information.

There is increased economic volatility at the moment as a result of Covid-19. Delays within the supply chain and inflation on key materials have affected the cost to the deliver the capital works programme. In addition, the increase in the minimum wage and tight labour market have increased the cost of employing staff. Council anticipates that inflation on all aspects of Council’s work will need to be considered for 2023/2034.

The costs for Stage 2 of City Streets and the preferred option for the Museum have been included in the budget, as well as increased costs to deliver the capital works programme, including the Branxholme Water Supply project. Increased costs to deliver property maintenance, to support the Parks operations and to support implementation for the new Stormwater Bylaw are also forecast. Mana whenua representatives have been introduced and allowance has been made for increased activities in the city centre.

The forecast rates increase is 7.78%. If you multiply your current rates bill by 107.78% you will see what your new rates bill would be. The only exceptions to this would be if you have made significant improvements to your property or your property has been revalued for some other reason.

The Financial Strategy describes how Council plans to finance its Long-term plan programme of works and how it will responsibly manage the finances of the city. There are a number of benchmarks which set guidelines for how Council will manage its finance. As a result of the changes in the Annual Plan the Council will now exceed a number of these benchmarks by a small amount.

The financial assumptions describe what Council forecasts will happen to key factors which influence the budget, including inflation, population, growth and delivery of the capital works programme. The Council uses these forecasts to estimate its revenue from rates as well as its expenditure on key activities. If one or more of these factors changes in ways we don’t expect this can have a big impact on the budget. For example if lots of people move to Invercargill, the income from rates will rise and at the same we can expect the costs of installing new infrastructure like pipes and roads for new subdivisions to rise. If inflation rises higher than expected then the cost to deliver services and capital works will increase. As a result Council continually monitors these factors and adjusts as necessary at each Annual Plan.

Depreciation describes the costs to replace assets like pipes and roads as they age (replacement cost spread over the life of the asset). Most infrastructure assets have an estimated lifecycle and Council plans to make sure they can be replaced when they reach the end of their useful life. Council does this by rating for depreciation. This Council aims to fund all depreciation through rates so that the funding is there to replace assets when they wear out.

Given the current economic uncertainty the value of Council’s assets which is the key driver of depreciation is also very uncertain. Council is revaluing its assets at 30 June 2022 but for the purposes of this annual plan has considered that the uncertainty is too great to rate for the forecast depreciation increase. This will be reviewed in 2023/24 annual plan once the valuation is complete.

Council considers the impact of a particular project on achieving the Council’s vision, the four wellbeings, the number of people who will benefit from the project and the financial sustainability of the investment. Councils uses its rates affordability benchmark to consider value for money for the programme as a whole and always balances the needs of the community now against those of the future, when considering the use of debt which will be paid back by tomorrow’s ratepayers.

The Living Wage is a national wage. The cost of living is lower in Invercargill. As a result to balance the needs of employees with those of ratepayers who pay the salaries, Invercargill sets a Fair Wage. This is calculated as x above the minimum wage. When the minimum wage increased this year, the ICC Fair Wage also increased.

Following consultation, the Councillors will make their financial decisions about the projects included in the Annual Plan and the Fees and Charges. Council will use this information, as well as any further new information about the economy to finalise the budget. The Annual Plan will then be adopted before the end of June.

The rates will be set before the end of June along with the Annual Plan. The new rates will come into effect on 1 July 2022.

You can pay your rates by:

• Direct debit
• Automatic Payment
• Bank Transfer
• Eftpos/Cash at our offices at 101 Esk Street or the Bluff  Service Centre, 98 Gore Street.
• Online via our website

More detail on how to pay your rates is available on our website at Paying your rates.

You don’t need to do anything. Council will recalculate what your new direct debit will be and send you a letter to advise you of the change.

Please call us on 03 211 1777 and ask to speak to the Rates Team who can work with you. We also work closely with Jubilee Budget Advice and other agencies who can support as well.

If you believe you are eligible for the government’s rates rebate please remember that you need to apply annually for the rebate. There is still time to get an application in for this year and applications for 2022/23 will be available from late July.