The Napier City Council was warned that estimated visitor numbers to the new museum were wildly inaccurate but councillors ignored that advice, former councillor John Harrison says.
The $18 million Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) opened in September last year, with the council initially estimating nearly 700,000 people would visit each year. But a report released on Wednesday shows it's more likely to be 30,000.
From left, museum director Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, Napier mayor Bill Dalton and council chief executive Wayne Jack at a news conference on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Peter Fowler
John Harrison said the council including mayor Bill Dalton was told by its own consultants Opus that visitor estimates were completely wrong - but they went ahead anyway.
Mr Harrison said the result would be losses to ratepayers of about $2 million per annum and the costs of redundancies at the museum. He said it's appalling that no one was being held accountable.
Council chief executive Wayne Jack said the inaccurate figure was due to the old museum also being a thoroughfare to Marine Parade.
Mr Jack says the council is not interested in holding anyone accountable and is instead looking forward.
The report says 92,000 people entered the building since it opened - but significantly, only one third decided to pay the entry price of $15 for an adult and $7.50 for a child. It recommends that the cost be reviewed.
