Some staff at the Canterbury Museum are likely to lose their jobs because the museum is short of money.
The museum, which employs 75 full-time and part-time staff, lost income when it had to close for six months after the 22 February Christchurch earthquake. It reopened on 2 September.
The director, Anthony Wright, says funding from the Christchurch City Council has not matched a 20% increase over the past 10 years in the number of visitors who do not pay entry fees.
"We have run budget deficits for the last five years, using our retained earnings to fund those in order to minimise the ask on the councils," Mr Wright says.
"But we have now used all of those reserves and I guess it's all come to a head and we really have to take more drastic action."
Mr Wright says an independent reviewer has been appointed to analyse the business and decide how many jobs will need to go.
