GREEN LIGHT FOR HUNDERTWASSER ART CENTRE WITH WAIRAU MĀORI ART GALLERY

Lotteries Commission $3.5 million project grant a “win for and by Northland” The Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery is set to go ahead after exceeding its referendum target thanks to the commitment of $3.5million from the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.

The grant from the Lotteries Significant Projects Fund takes the total fundraising pool to $18.6 million and well over the referendum fundraising target of $16.25 million by June 30. It also takes the Hundertwasser project team well on the way to achieving the estimated build cost of $20.97 million.

The news has been hailed as a win “for and by Northland” by the Project Director Andrew Garratt.

“This is absolutely, 100% a win for Northland. The incredible effort from this community to raise funds and voice to this project has been heard and we are delighted to have met one of the key requirements of the referendum.

“We are so very appreciative of this grant from Lotteries, as well as the amazing response from the community in the last few weeks, with thousands of dollars raised through donations, art sales and pledges.  The Lotteries grant is a wonderful reward for a hard-working team and community.”

In their notification of the grant, the Lotteries Commission committee said the project had strong alignment with the purpose of the Significant Projects Fund by contributing to regional and national outcomes for arts, culture and heritage as well as economic development, visitor services and tourism.

The Commission wished the Whangarei and wider Northland community, every success for the project.

The project team now turn their focus to raising the required funds to meet the expected build cost of $20.97 million and have committed to securing these funds from outside of the Whangarei District.

The revised costs are the result of core sampling at the building site and subsequent engineer’s review, leanings from the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes and an increase in materials costs due to inflation. The resulting plan meets a higher structural standard and ensures increased transparency around the expected build total.