Timaru councillors told $7m cut from Theatre Royal project budget

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

The Timaru District Council shared new drawings for the plan to redevelop Timaru's Theatre Royal during a public workshop on Tuesday.

A whopping $7 million has been cut off the budget for Timaru’s controversial Theatre Royal project taking it from about $30m down to an estimated $23m.

The new figures were announced in a Timaru District Council (TDC) public workshop on Tuesday which also discussed the building of a new museum for South Canterbury and the redevelopment of Aorangi Stadium.

However, the figures for the Theatre Royal did not include a contingency fund but did include a plan to allow for hospitality ventures at the site estimated to cost more than $2.9m. Councillor Stu Piddington said it should be scrapped.

Members of the public, many part of the region’s theatre community, during the Timaru District Council’s public workshop on Tuesday.

“We’re not Melbourne,’’ he said.

“The ratepayers are paying for this … I think we need to make some serious savings, get a theatre open, and stop the fluff.’’

During the workshop, the council’s chief executive Nigel Trainor also confirmed an offer from businessman Gary Rooney, who recently purchased a row of buildings opposite the Theatre Royal, that he would possibly redevelop the Majestic Theatre into a community theatre.

“It’s in its very infancy — the offer was to potentially refit the Majestic as our theatre, instead of the Theatre Royal and potentially that person may do that themselves and donate to the community,’’ Trainor said.

Following that revelation councillors spent some time discussing the merits of it, the likelihood of it being viable and some expressed gratitude for such a generous offer.

The overall sentiment was that the offer be further explored but work continue on the already signed-off theatre, and the museum development which was estimated to cost $15.2m.

In presenting the latest information on the three projects, project manager Paul Haggath also recommended work on the theatreand museum happen at the same time.

Timaru District councillor Stu Piddington told the workshop the district was “not Melbourne’’ and savings needed to be made.

On October 31, when councillors agreed to go ahead with the plan for the two buildings, they stipulated that the first stage of the project, the theatre, would have to be completed for $24m after agreeing to a set budget for the work.

“I recommend the two are both built together or it will cost more,’’ he said on Tuesday.

Haggath said he would put a call out for expressions of interest for both projects, and that would decide whether one contractor could do both projects.

Haggath also unveiled plans for the redevelopment of Aorangi Stadium which had a budget of $24.2m. It showed the retention of the existing stadium, and a link from the building to a new eight-court facility.

Testing revealed the ground conditions at the site were not as good as hoped, meaning more earthworks would need to be undertaken, he said.

“That costs a bit of money and we have that to contend with.”

Councillors were taken through what the new stadium could look like. It included basketball and netball courts, and a new gymnasium, slightly smaller than the existing gym, but which Haggath described as “more efficient’’.

The Timaru District Council's planned upgrade of Aorangi Stadium includes these designs by Thompson Engineering.

There would also be a multi-function suite, and Haggath said he was “very happy’’ with where the project was at.

All going to plan the project would be completed by March 31, 2027 with the existing stadium to be earthquake strengthened first, which would take place over 12 weeks from September.

Timaru District Council chief executive Nigel Trainor at Tuesday’s council workshop.

The stadium would reopen by December, and the work on the development would only disrupt one netball season, he said.

Fraser Park would be used as an alternative civil defence centre, if an emergency was to occur while the work was being undertaken.

Haggath said the design was within scope and “ticked every box’’ and was within budget.

TDC would need to borrow $19.37m for the project, with several grants already guaranteed.

Aorangi Stadium stakeholders have also been asked to raise 10% towards the project while the museum trust had already raised $3m for the fit out of the development, which Trainor said made up about 20% of the project.

The theatre community also had a part to play in accessing grants and raising funds, the workshop was told.

The projects will be discussed again at the next full council meeting on Tuesday.