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A spooky Dunedin museum is facing a mystery of its own after the same council that uses it to promote the city questioned its right to exist.
Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery curator Bruce Mahalski said on social media the query about its consent to operate came out of the blue.
“We got an email from the [Dunedin City] council last week who seem to have just found out that we’re operating a museum in a house and asking if we had permission and a resource consent.
“This is particularly strange because Enterprise Dunedin (the council’s promotional wing) has been promoting the museum ever since it opened eight years ago,” Mahalski wrote on Facebook.
He declined to comment further when contacted by the ODT.
The museum was singled out for praise by Lonely Planet when it named Dunedin one of the globe’s top destinations to visit in 2027.
Writer Jessica Lockhart, whose trip to Dunedin was facilitated by Enterprise Dunedin, zeroed in on the museum and Mr Mahalski to help explain the city’s unique charm.
“Dunedin is now that impossibly cool guy who lives on the second floor in your building. Yes, he has a dark sense of humour and immaculate taste in food, art and music, but – like Mahalski – he’s actually very friendly.”
Mr Mahalski is a prominent climate activist and he speculated in his post that this may be behind the unexpected communication.
“We’re pretty certain that someone has made a complaint and it’s not one of the neighbours but someone who doesn’t like the museum curator’s outspoken focus on climate and conservation issues.”
He was confident the museum was operating legally.
“Before the museum was opened we did our due diligence and so long as the house is used as a residence and only part of it for your business that falls within the existing by-laws.
“Our sign is also regulation size. We should be fine and I have invited the resource team to come and visit anytime.”
The Dunedin City Council has been approached for comment.
- Allied Media