Council confirms building on Tuwharetoa Street and new museum

Taupō District Council has confirmed its preferred option to build its new administration building at 61-67 Tuwharetoa Street.

The development will include two levels of underground parking, floor space for alternate uses including a café and bus facilities, and it will be built to IL4 standard, the minimum required for a post-disaster facility.

In addition, 80 new in-berm carparks will be constructed in proximity to the chosen site in the next financial year and a Taupō Museum and Art Gallery will be built on Tongariro Domain to create a ‘cultural heart’. The intention is for two thirds of the museum and art gallery build to be funded by other funding sources.

The decisions were made today following the consideration of more than 600 written submissions, and more than 20 presentations from people who wanted to be heard, on the proposed amendment to the council’s 2018-28 Long-term Plan to choose a site for its administration building. Consultation with the community was undertaken in April, with the council’s preferred option being to build on the Tuwharetoa Street site with the creation of in-berm carparking. Other options were to build on the former site at 72 Lake Terrace, on Tongariro Domain as part of a cultural precinct, or to lease.

However, given the number of submissions regarding carparking the decision was made to futureproof any development by including additional car parks. The inclusion of underground carparking at the Tuwharetoa Street site was also consulted on as part of the proposed amendment.

Mayor David Trewavas said the level of feedback from the community had been heartening. While there were differing views in the community, there was a cross-section of feedback on all the options that had been helpful in guiding the council’s decision making, he said.

“While the majority of submitters favoured the council rebuilding on its former site at 72 Lake Terrace, doing so would contradict the District Plan and there was likely to be lengthy delays due to legal process and council activities could be restrained in the future,” said Mr Trewavas.

“We debated the four different options at length as we needed to make sure the option we chose would carry us as community into the future, with the least possible risk,” he said.

“We need to do it once and do it right.”

The amendment to the Long-term Plan is set to be formally adopted later this month and it is likely the Lake Terrace site will be put on the market shortly after.