It’s a wrap! Council receives final report on gallery redevelopment
Published on 31 July 2025
Whanganui ratepayers will contribute $26.08 million toward the recently completed Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment – representing less than a third of the $79.4 million total project cost.
Mayor Andrew Tripe says two-thirds of the cost of the gallery redevelopment was met through the extraordinary efforts of fundraisers. “This project would never have progressed from its inception nearly 30 years ago if it had not been for the dedication of the Sarjeant Gallery Trust and the funds raised by donations and grants provided by successive governments.
“That is an extraordinary outcome. There aren’t many civic projects that get that level of investment from external sources.”
The project to restore, upgrade and earthquake strengthen the 106-year-old gallery and construct a modern extension, Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa for the gallery’s collection, is now complete.
Mayor Andrew says the project has been ongoing since 1998. “Since then, there have been challenges along the way as often happens when delivering a major infrastructure project – even more so during a pandemic. Despite COVID lockdowns, inflation, and construction delays, we now have an award-winning cultural facility that’s already generating value for our community and local economy and will do so for a hundred years and more.”
After opening to the public in November 2024, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery has quickly established itself as a destination of regional and national significance. The gallery has been recognised internationally, with National Geographic recently naming it among the world’s top ten cultural hotspots to visit in 2025.
Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford delivered a final project report to the council’s operations and performance committee today. He says the gallery is exceeding all expectations.
A recent intercept survey showed nearly 60% of visitors were from outside the district, and most stayed for over three nights – helping deliver an estimated $17.6 million in economic impact annually.
Last week the visitor count hit 100,000, visitor survey results recorded 96 percent satisfaction and revenue from the gallery’s café, retail shop, and venue hire has already exceeded $700,000, helping offset ongoing operational costs.
Langford says the five-year redevelopment has been one of the most complex and rewarding projects the council has undertaken. “We were restoring and strengthening a fragile heritage building on a sandhill, during a global pandemic. Despite these challenges, the project was completed to a high standard and with full transparency about cost and timeline impacts.”
He says employing local contractors injected an estimated $20.7 million into the Whanganui economy and the construction period overall generated an estimated $49–55 million in wider economic impacts.
Mayor Andrew says. “I would like to acknowledge project director Gaye Batty, the design and construction teams, Iwi partners, former and current gallery directors, staff and all who contributed to the successful completion of this outstanding project.
“Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is now complete, with all costs accounted for. It’s time now to maximise its potential, as a major cultural attraction and a rich community asset that will be transformational for our city of design.”