The Aquarium’s building needs work to maintain a workable and engaging experience with suitable conditions for the facility’s animals and for people who visit and work there. Maintenance costs will place a significant burden on ratepayers. We’ve heard from the community that increasing costs need to be managed, therefore, keeping the Aquarium in its current form is no longer a realistic option.
Over the past year, we have been looking at how we can introduce other income-earning activities with nature and conservation education themes for this site. Any new activity would continue to be a visitor attraction as well as a place that locals will love to visit. Importantly, any new activity must be financially sustainable and allow flexibility for future changes.
Under this option Napier City Council would continue to manage the facility and we would spend up to $28 million to demolish the existing building and construct a new building. It is important to note that a final budget hasn’t yet been confirmed. It would be finalised through the business case process, which would be the next step. $28 million is a maximum amount, not a targeted amount.
Demolishing the entire building is the most cost-effective option in the long term. This is because of the high maintenance costs needed to keep the current building safe and operational, due to its age and condition. The new building would include a new income-earning activity or activities. Exact details on the type of activity haven’t been decided and will be part of the business case if Council goes ahead with this option.
Any new facility would need to fit within Council’s agreed guidelines of being financially sustainable to ratepayers, family-focused, financially accessible, future-proofed and flexible. It would have a conservation and education focus, alongside leisure, tourism and hospitality outcomes.
Ideas that keep the Aquarium’s current animals will be considered. A new building would allow a different layout to improve the experience for visitors.
The new facility would first go through a thorough business case process that would describe how the additional costs of this option would be met. Community consultation would then follow before final Council decision making. The new facility would have an annual operational grant from Council of up to $2 million and therefore will be developed to operate within this financial limit. It would bring in income from fees and charges, with the goal of reducing operational grants over time, as income increases.
By comparison the current aquarium facility has an annual cost to ratepayers of between $3.6 million to $10.3 million over the next five years.
Under this option we would spend up to $35 million to refurbish and partly demolish the existing structure and construct a new building. As with Option 1, it is important to note that a final budget hasn’t yet been confirmed. It would be finalised through the business case process, which would be the next step. $35 million is a maximum amount, not a targeted amount.
This is not Council’s preferred option because the initial refurbishment cost is higher than building completely new. There will also be higher ongoing building maintenance costs of a refurbished older building, compared to a newly constructed one that is designed fit for purpose.
As with our preferred option, the building would include a new income-earning activity or activities. Exact details on the type of activity have yet to be decided but would fit within Council’s agreed guidelines outlined in Option 1. The new activity would first go through a thorough business case and then community consultation before final Council decision making.
The new facility would have an annual operational grant from Council of up to $2 million and will therefore be developed to operate within this financial limit. It would bring in income from fees and charges, with the goal of reducing the grants over time, as income increases.
This option would remove the cost of running the facility from Council’s budgets, reducing future rates increases. This option allows Council to save money and would support its priorities of being financially sustainable, of Napier being a great visitor destination, and of enabling other organisations to operate places for tourists and locals.
There would still be a large one-off cost to close the building. This includes staff and other internal costs, costs to rehome or release the animals, and the cost to demolish the building. This would be several million dollars.
Like Option 3A, this option would remove the cost of running the Aquarium from Council’s budgets, meaning lower future rates increases. Option 3B would permanently remove a significant tourist attraction from the city, which doesn’t line up with Council’s priority of being a great visitor destination with places that tourists and locals love to visit.
Given the Aquarium’s financial challenges, this is a high-cost option for Napier’s ratepayers and therefore is not Council’s preferred option.
We would continue to be faced with increasing costs to keep the Aquarium’s building maintained to ensure that visitors have an engaging experience, and that there are suitable conditions for animals and people. This cost includes borrowing. This would need to be passed on to ratepayers, meaning much higher future rates increases.
Under this option the Aquarium would remain mostly as it is. Capital expenditure would mainly be used for maintenance and renewal of the existing structure and some modest improvements. Some changes to species may be considered if it’s possible for a higher level of animal welfare within the existing habitats or if it improves visitors’ experience or better meets their expectations. The ability of the Aquarium to increase its income is unlikely to be significantly improved in this scenario.
Have your sayPlease provide your feedback in the form below before 5pm, Wednesday 30 April.
Disclaimers and Copyright
While every endeavour has been taken by Napier City Council to ensure that the information on this website is
accurate and up to date, shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith.
Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant
government agencies. cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content.
Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online
graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced
information or material is copyright to the respective provider.
© Napier City Council
OPTION 1: Demolish the current building and construct a new building in its place. Develop revenue-generating activity(s) inside the new building and the immediate outdoor area.
