Timaru District Council’s major projects move ahead with Government money in mind

Wednesday, 7 May 2025

Theatre director and actor Alice Sollis urges Timaru District councillors to move ahead with the next stage of the Theatre Royal and museum projects at a meeting on Tuesday.

There was animated discussion and the decision was not unanimous, but Timaru’s council has voted to approve the next stage of the Theatre Royal and museum projects.

It was also revealed $11.6 million shovel-ready funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) was dependent on both projects being completed by December 2026.

At Tuesday’s Timaru District Council meeting, votes by councillors Michelle Pye, Peter Burt, Scott Shannon, Owen Jackson, Sally Parker and Allan Booth approved the projects and reaffirmed the budgets of $29.2m for the theatre and $15m for the museum.

An additional $3m for the fit out of the museum, to be raised through fundraising, was also reaffirmed.

Councillors Stu Piddington, Gavin Oliver and Stacey Scott voted against while mayor Nigel Bowen did not vote.

Timaru District councillor Stacey Scott asked for the resolution to include that chief executive Nigel Trainor be delegated authority to spend up to $24m for the first phase of the work at Tuesday’s meeting.

Councillors shared concerns about the cost of the theatre project blowing out. Scott asked for the resolution to include that chief executive Nigel Trainor be delegated authority to spend up to $24m for the first phase of the work.

But Trainor said he could not commit to that knowing the project “could blow out to $26 million’’.

“I’m committing to a build of $24 million,’’ Trainor said.

While the council was aiming to spend that, it could go to the $29m it had budgeted for the project, he said.

Scott said she would therefore be voting against the resolution as she felt councillors needed to continue to have tight reins on the project.

Booth sought assurances that another $3m would not be spent on “pretty pictures’’ and the cost would not increase significantly.

Consultant Paul Haggath, of Team Projects Ltd, said “we’re in a pretty good position now because we’ve been through the hoops so many times’’.

Friends of the Theatre Royal member Anne Ellis shares her views on the redevelopment of the theatre at Tuesday afternoon’s Timaru District Council meeting.

Scott said she was concerned that the theatre redevelopment and the museum build would now be built at the same time.

“I’m very concerned the museum will become the poor cousin,’’ she said.

“Are we still having two separate projects?’’

The council’s group manager environmental services, Paul Cooper, said the tender for the design was for both projects.

Trainor said it came down to the MBIE funding and both projects needed to be done at the same time.

Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen at Tuesday’s council meeting.

“Otherwise the money is off the table,’’ he said.

“They are 100% connected through [MBIE].’’

Cooper then added that December 2026 “is when we have to finish both projects’’.

“If we veer off the timeline then that [MBIE] funding is significantly at risk,’’ he said.

Trainor confirmed MBIE funding would be split into two components, and once a contract was signed for the theatre a proportion of the funds could be drawn.

“They want it done by December 26 [2026],’’ he said.

Councillor Stu Piddington said $3.8m could be saved by cutting out the plan’s laneways leading from Stafford St to Barnard St.

Members of the public at Tuesday’s Timaru District Council meeting.

“For 100 years we’ve walked around the block,’’ he said.

“I think those laneways, we just get rid of them.’’

Councillor Gavin Oliver said he would vote against the resolution as he wanted a new theatre built.

The decision also came after pleas from the theatre community who spoke in the public forum in front of a packed public gallery.

Friends of the Theatre Royal member Anne Ellis told councillors the group, which worked under the umbrella of the council, was formed in 1993.

It was formed to raise funds and help complete the then renovation of the theatre, the last time any upgrade was made to the building.

“Timaru has highly-praised sporting and recreation facilities,’’ she said.

“But it needs a venue to attract shows.’’

She said suggestions raised by councillors at a workshop on the project last week about the plan to allow for hospitality ventures at the site were concerning.

Timaru District councillor Owen Jackson at Tuesday’s meeting.

Ellis said the group had “worked the theatre’’ and knew the problems it had experienced with congestion.

Theatre director and actor Alice Sollis told councillors she realised it was not easy to spend ratepayers’ money, but she was one of them and she urged them to continue with the project.

“It was heartbreaking to watch the demise of the Theatre Royal but the waiting has been even harder,’’ she said.

Sollis said councillors had made a commitment to the people of Timaru that a theatre would be built.

“I know we’re not Melbourne but at the moment we’re not even Waimate,’’ she said.

She then listed the number of shows being held in Waimate’s theatre.

“Our town has been starved for the past six years.

“Our arts community has almost been abandoned.’’

She said she was “worried, frustrated, hurt and angry’’.

“Please have the integrity and balls to complete what you have said you would.’’

This prompted clapping from members in the public forum.

Fellow thespian, and former South Canterbury Drama League president, Chris Thomas also spoke sharing plans for fundraising for the theatre.

However, this would only happen if the council was firm in their decision to go ahead with the project, he said.