HUNDERTWASSER WOES WORSEN

 

The latest half-year report to 31 December 2025 paints a grim picture of the Hundertwasser Art Centre, which has acknowledged that it cannot survive without ongoing public funding.

Paid admissions during the six-month period fell 3% compared with the previous year, to 12,779. These sobering figures are a reminder of just how far reality has diverged from the promises made when the project was first proposed. The original feasibility studies projected 200,000 visitors a year and $26 million in annual net economic benefit—figures repeated by then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when she announced a $10 million Provincial Growth Fund grant in June 2018.

One of the central assurances made by those promoting the Hundertwasser project was that it would not become a financial burden on Whangārei ratepayers and would drive "economic transformation". Based on current visitor numbers, one could be forgiven for concluding that those projections and assurances now look more like fantasy than forecasting.

REFERENCES

Northern Advocate: Whangārei’s Hundertwasser Art Centre in need of ongoing council support HERE >>>

WDC Minutes, Thursday, 18 June, 2026: HERE >>>  Page 13

RNZ: Whangarei's Hundertwasser Art Centre could run out of money, HERE >>>

Original Proposal 2014: Prosper Northland Trust Project prospectus: HERE >>>

Letters of Support 2014: HERE >>>

 

Application for funding to the provincial Growth Fund (released under the Official Information Act). HERE >>>

Note comment on page 4: 

"There are various estimates of overall visitor numbers who will be attracted by the HAC (currently being reviewed in the aforementioned business plan process). Previous feasibility studies have estimated the HAC will attract up to 450,000 new visitors to Whangarei per annum."