Museum redevelopment consent

Canterbury Museum’s redevelopment plans have been given a green light.

Resource consent has now been granted for the $195 million project, the concept designs for which include a blue whale skeleton on display in a new full-height atrium.

Canterbury Museum Trust Board chair David Ayers says the consent is a major milestone in the museum’s project to protect its heritage buildings and bring the facilities into the 21st century. Redevelopment will strengthen the museum’s buildings with base isolation, create more space for exhibitions and provide much-needed improvements to visitor facilities.

“We’ve been developing our redevelopment plans since May last year, when we asked Cantabrians what they’d like to see in a redeveloped museum,” Ayers says. “Now we can move on with full concept design of the buildings, which we expect to finish by the end of the year.”

The museum already has well over half the money needed but faces a $70 million dollar shortfall. Ayers says discussions are progressing with possible funders and a business case developed seeking funding from the Government.