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Media release —

A government culture and heritage fund has provided a $16.5 million dollar boost to two cultural institutions in Te Waipounamu, the South Island: the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch and the Forrester Art Gallery in Oamaru.

"The Regional Culture and Heritage Fund supports public cultural institutions such as galleries, museums and whare taonga with capital projects that provide long-lasting benefits to communities," says Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive of Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

"I’m excited to see this round of funding going towards much-needed redevelopment projects which will help strengthen cultural heritage not just for the local communities, but provide positive benefits across the country’s cultural heritage sector. Both projects include improvements to public Category 1 heritage buildings.

"Canterbury Museum is going through one of the largest museum redevelopment projects since the 1980's. The Regional Culture and Heritage Fund is providing a $10 million grant towards the Canterbury Museum’s first stage fundraising shortfall for its once-in-a-lifetime redevelopment. The capital construction stage includes earthquake strengthening of its heritage buildings, replacement of no longer fit-for-purpose connecting extensions, and the addition of an expansive basement storage facility beneath the entire complex.

"The Forrester Art Gallery in Oamaru will receive $6.5 million from the same Fund towards the construction of a new wing that will be added to the Gallery’s heritage-listed building. The extension focuses on collection care and accessibility, with a new accessible community education space, and improved facilities such as a lift, toilets, parking and wheelchair ramp. The new wing provides more space for exhibitions as well as climate-controlled storage for their 2,500 piece collection of New Zealand art.

"I look forward to seeing these projects continue, and to be able to visit these places in the near future," says Laulu Mac.

The Regional Culture and Heritage Fund is an annual, last-resort fund administered by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 

Regional Culture and Heritage Fund