Council confirms path forward for opening of Te Unua Museum of Southland
The Invercargill City Council has confirmed a path forward for the opening of Te Unua Museum of Southland, with the new facility set to be opened to the public in 2027.
The timeline for opening Southland’s new museum was discussed at a Council meeting today, with elected members presented with three options to consider regarding a public opening date.
Other options included:
Limited early opening (December 2026): Spaces including the foyer, play space, and café, but excluding exhibitions spaces; additional cost estimated between $500,000 and $1 million
Opening of partial exhibitions and café (early 2027): Temporary exhibitions plus limited areas open; additional cost estimated between $1 million - $2 million
Invercargill Deputy Mayor Grant Dermody, who oversaw the Te Unua Museum of Southland portfolio, said the amended timeline gave the public greater confidence in expectations for when the new museum would be fully completed and operational.
The decision to open Te Unua Museum of Southland in 2027 reflected Council’s commitment to delivering a high-quality cultural facility that met the expectations of the community, he said.
“The people of Invercargill and Southland deserve a new museum that is compelling and complete. This decision ensures that we open the doors once – properly – rather than rushing, and compromising what our community has asked for,” he said.
The original timeframe for the new museum build, following the development of Council’s Long-term Plan 2021 – 2031, had initially proposed a public opening date of 2027, but that timeframe had been accelerated. The project had made substantial progress since physical construction began on-site in November, but those earlier ambitions to fast-track the build had proven unachievable, he said.
The community had a strong desire to see the museum reopen as soon as possible, and the recommended approach honoured that stance while avoiding partial openings that risked disappointing the public or increasing project costs, he said.
“Southlanders have been very clear: do it once, and do it right. This decision reflects exactly that.”
Construction is set to be completed by September 2026. The full fit-out of the exhibition spaces – including the long-term Story of Southland exhibition, and temporary galleries, and operational readiness across education services, retail, café, front-of-house, and back-of-house area would be completed in time for a public opening in 2027.
Crucially, that approach would ensure the project stayed within its current budget and aligned with professional advice from design, construction, and museum and heritage services partners, he said.
The contract for the experience build had been confirmed with Gibson International. The next steps in the project included closing out the remaining construction cost items, completing the project build and integrating the surrounding areas within Queens Park, advancing the development of the Story of Southland and other exhibitions, continuing recruitment and operational planning, and collaborating with mana whenua partners.
