1969: Ripped off in Rotorua
October 6, 2018
By AHNZ
Rotorua Museum to consign closure to history by 2021
– Stuff;
Jokes! In 2006-2011 Rotorua Museum sucked in $$ to extend the building (‘Centennial project’) over 5 years and then…oh-oh…we’re closing it all down because we just remembered earthquakes were a thing!
The above article by Benn Bathgate highly resembles the 2017 one from Benn Bathgate; Both simply mollify a public that is losing its temper. Nothing has actually been done. The actual press release reads ‘Architect Appointed’.
[National 5.0] confident of Crown cash for Museum [on eve of election 2017]
Wake up New Zealand! Politicians are simply leveraging your sentiments that this is “amazing,” “historic,” and a “beautiful building” to drain endless millions of red tape dollars out of you by hook or by crook.
Timeline
1881 The State creates Rotorua as a town; Maoris get ripped off
1908 The State creates the future museum buildings as a phony baloney socialist hydrotherapy tourist resort; Ref. 1908: Phony Baloney Balneology Boom, AHNZ
1969 Museum added
2006-2011 Centennial project: The buildings renovated and extended upon at great expense to make sure buildings are still fit for service
2016 The buildings are closed indefinitely as a sudden (opportunistic) revelation on the buildings earthquake readiness not previously contemplated (apparently) strikes. This leads to a whole new round of politiking and ticket-clipping with no end in sight.
2018 The museum promised to “consign closure to history by 2021”
2019 Labour 6.0 added $20,000,000 promising to open up the museum (just about the time of Local Government elections.)
2020 Taxpayer contribution now $53million (including former pop singer Lizzie Marvelly) and the new deadline is “a planned reopening in 2022.”
2022 ‘Rotorua Museum renovation: $30 million could be added to project, according to confidential council report’ – NZ Herald (25 June 2022)
2023: The $53.5 million has been secured….so now the price has shifted to $81.4 million! And, $10 million for remastering the exhibitions! Ref. What will be the fate of Rotorua Museum?, NZ Herald (June 2023)
—
Update 2020: Added in timeline events post-2016
Update 2022: Confidential report leaked blaming inflation and COVID-19 (our excuses de jure..) for another cost blow-out. Similar scam to the Christchurch stadium cost blow-out and similar excuses and also in the context of Local Government elections ’22. I think the idea is to make voters angry at some old politicians and kick them out which helps others who will be re-elected for “boldly” promising to finish the work that has been started no matter the cost. At the end of the day this process successfully picks ratepayer’s pockets and the never-ending scam will go on with an elected mandate
Update 2023: Herald now reports that $91.4 million is “required” and opening for 2028
Ref. Previous post: Rotorua Museum
Image ref. AHNZ, Nov 2016
Note: 13 August 1908: Bathhouse Building opened by Prime Minister Joseph Ward with a golden key. Ref. New Zealand Times (1908,) Papers Past however Rotorua Museum claim that Admiral Sperry of the American Fleet was the one opening the building; rotoruamuseum.co.nz [Since redacted. See Wayback Machine 2021]
Note: 1 November 1969: City of Rotorua Museum officially opened; ibid
Note: “You should include in your timeline the building of a tourist railway for the new town”- comment to AHNZ
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