Radical Te Papa cuts rejected as funding pressure mounts
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Join the conversation in the comments below.
New documents show Te Papa’s leadership were presented with stark options to address a growing financial crisis, including abandoning physical visitors and closing its Wellington site.
While those ideas were ultimately ruled out due to an unacceptable level of risk, the papers obtained by The Post reveal the scale of the funding problem and pressure on staff.
The national museum’s chief executive Courtney Johnston said the options were presented to provoke a wide-ranging discussion and demonstrate the significance of the financial challenge Te Papa faces.
Last year Te Papa embarked on a significant restructure of its management roles in a bid to cut costs, which, if approved, will result in 41 positions becoming just 22.
Read more:
This was on the back of years of ballooning operating costs and infrastructure repairs to its specialised buildings.
Each year the museum ‒ New Zealand’s top tourist attraction ‒ receives $43.57m from the Government plus $3m for the acquisition of collection items, which equates to about half of what it needs.
It raises the rest of its funds from commercial and international visitor entry charges, exhibition revenue and investments, and sponsorship.
But the museum’s latest statement of performance forecast a deficit of $13m after depreciation for 2025/6.
If nothing changes, Te Papa is expected to use up its cash reserves by mid-2029.
To solve its financial crisis, the executive was presented with an option that included reducing or stopping all commercial and physical visitor serving activities, and instead focus on creating, caring for, researching and making collections available through digital access, on-site research access and loans. Touring activity would have been phased out.
Another option would have seen all efforts put into driving physical visitation to the museum and uptake of its commercial offerings through retail, public programmes and tours, Tākina Events, and an international touring programme. This would have meant reduced or stopped collection development, care, research, access, digitisation or sector support.
The museum’s leaders eventually settled on a far less radical pathway forward.
Its new strategic direction prioritises five key areas: belonging and connection; extraordinary experiences; cultural leadership with global reach; partnerships with Māori; and sustaining Te Papa for generations.
At this stage, no core activities have been identified for reduction or stopping.
While a “range of options” would be considered for the next phase of the restructure, which is expected to affect the rest of the museum instead of just management, Johnston said it was not possible to say how many roles were expected to be disestablished, or say which parts would be most affected, because a proposal had not yet been developed.
The documents also detail exchanges between the museum and the E tū union.
An email sent to Te Papa in October 2025 on behalf of union delegates and members alleged there were “fundamental flaws” in its process, and while it was good to have a heads up about the impending change “this was too little, too late”.
Johnston said the union was advised of the proposed restructure a month before consultation began. The museum also made a one-week extension to the consultation period, and had been actively engaged with E tū throughout the process.
It was committed to continuing that for the next phase, she added.
The toll of the change so far on Te Papa’s staff has also been briefly detailed.
In the released documents, managers noted that workers took the news with “surprise and shock”; one talked of not being able to sleep after communicating with their team about it. Others said it had been “rough”, “heartbreaking”, and that people had been glum after learning about the proposal.
“We know that this process is difficult for our people, who have very strong commitment to Te Papa. Throughout the process, supporting our kaimahi (workers) is a top priority,” Johnston said.
While the process was being led by the museum’s co-leaders ‒ kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai and Johnston ‒ the need for change was also identified by Te Papa’s board.
The co-leaders had the board’s full support, Johnston said.
Comments are moderated during working hours and may not appear immediately.