The Government will contribute $4 million to the construction of the Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery in Whangarei, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has said in a statement.
"The Hundertwasser Centre will add another quality visitor attraction to the growing Northland tourism industry. Tourism in Northland grew 6% in the year to March 2015 and has continued to increase since then. It is one of the key industries in the economic growth plan for the North," Mr Joyce said.
The contribution is part of the launch of the Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan. Mr Joyce said the Hundertwasser Centre is estimated to bring an additional $3.7 million into the Northland economy each year.
The centre is the last project designed by the late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who lived in Northland.
It will be dedicated to contemporary Maori art, with a section displaying Hundertwasser's own work.
After years of wrangling about the future of the old Harbour Board Building at the Town Basin, voters were last year given the option of demolishing the old building, having a Maritime Museum, or developing the Arts Centre, which already had substantial financial backing.
Even before all the votes were counted, the Hundertwasser option won overwhelming support.
Over 13,700 people supported the $13 million project which was rejected by Whangarei District Council in 2014.
Mr Joyce said the Government will only contribute the $4 million if the Whangarei Museum Trust obtains the $8.2 million of additional funding required to build the Centre.
Newshub.
