The organisation responsible for thousands of Lyttelton historical artefacts wants Christchurch ratepayers to contribute $8 million towards a new museum and provide $300,000 a year to help operate it.

The Lyttelton Historical Museum Society is seeking the capital funding through Christchurch City Council’s 2027 to 2037 Long Term Plan.

Its submission also requests $434,037 towards the museum’s first year of operation.

The request comes as the society faces pressure to relocate much of its collection from temporary storage at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Wigram.

Lyttelton Historical Museum Society executive committee chairperson Christine Korako outlined the proposal to members of the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board on Monday.

Korako said she met Air Force Museum representatives about six weeks ago and was told the society needed to develop a plan for removing its collection.

“They would really like a timeframe on it now. There is some urgency to move it because they are going to have to use that space themselves.”

She said finding another temporary home for the collection would be a substantial undertaking if the museum project faced further delays.

“It is certainly a red flag that has come up. It is a big job to work out where we house that larger collection should it take another year, and years and years, to progress.”

Lyttelton has been without a museum since its council owned building on Gladstone Quay was demolished following the Canterbury earthquakes.

About 95 percent of the collection was saved, largely through the efforts of the local fire brigade and the Air Force Museum.

The society has more than 20,000 objects and taonga, along with more than 11,500 digitised archival images. Much of the physical collection is held in containers at Wigram, while sensitive items are kept in climate controlled storage elsewhere.

“We have over 20,000 taonga and stories that we want to bring home,” Korako said.

Plans for a replacement museum emerged in 2017. A design was developed in 2020, when the estimated project cost was $9.9 million and the society expected fundraising to take four years.

Resource consent for the three storey building was granted in 2023, by which time the estimated cost had increased to about $12.5 million.

The museum would be built at 33 to 35 London Street, beside the Lyttelton Library. The former council service centre site was gifted to the society by Christchurch City Council in 2017.

The society’s latest proposal puts the total project cost at $12.65 million and divides construction into three stages.

The first stage is budgeted at $8,784,637. It would provide a compliant building capable of opening to the public and allow the collection to return to Lyttelton.

The society wants the council to provide $8 million of that amount, potentially spread across three years. Its submission suggests payments of $3 million in the first year, $4 million in the second and $1 million in the third.

The society would need to secure the remaining $784,637 for the first stage from other sources.

A further $1,502,800 would be raised for a progressive museum fit out, followed by $2,362,563 to complete the building to its full intended standard.

The first stage budget includes $8.157 million for construction and essential fit out work, $98,600 for a museum project manager, $95,000 for a professional campaign manager and $434,037 for the first year of operation.

 

A May 2026 estimate prepared by quantity surveyor Rawlinsons put the construction component at $9.691 million. The estimate was $221,000 higher than the August 2022 figure and did not include any allowance for inflation or further cost escalation.

Korako said a substantial council commitment would make the project more attractive to other funders.

“Once council shows that they actually believe the project matters, then others follow.”

The society expects to seek between $500,000 and $1 million from central government, lottery and heritage funds. It is also targeting up to $2 million from philanthropic organisations and major donors, and up to $1.5 million through community fundraising and sponsorship.

Its proposed operating model relies on three paid employees supported by volunteers.

The society estimates the museum would cost at least $434,037 a year to operate. It wants the council to provide $300,000 annually, with between $100,000 and $150,000 expected from retail sales, venue hire, education programmes, visitors and donations.

Grants, sponsorship and philanthropy would be expected to provide a further $85,000 to $150,000 each year.

The submission forecasts between 35,000 and 50,000 visitors annually under its moderate scenario. It proposes opening the museum 363 days a year, with free or low cost entry depending on whether visitors are local residents or tourists.

Korako said the museum could encourage cruise ship passengers and other visitors to spend more time in Lyttelton.

“Museums tend to attract people to a destination. It means they are spending longer in the destination, so economically it could be a real advantage for the local economy.”

The proposed museum would also contain meeting, education and exhibition spaces. The society said it could potentially function as a visitor information centre and emergency response hub.

The society’s financial statements show it held assets of $665,638 as of March 2025, including $344,409 in investments and $60,720 in cash and short term deposits.

It recorded revenue of $140,343 and a surplus of $56,932 for the year to March 2025.

Its management accounts for the following financial year recorded $108,225 in fundraising income, including $51,518 in donations and $50,000 in sponsorship.

Banks Peniesula MP Vanessa Weenink said “I have a real appreciation for Lyttelton’s history and the value a museum could bring to the community.

“However, an $8 million capital contribution and ongoing annual operational funding is a significant ask of ratepayers, particularly when there are many competing priorities and unfunded heritage projects in Christchurch.

“Any proposal of this scale should demonstrate long-term financial sustainability before ratepayer funding is used” Weenink said.