The Regimental History Association is seeking Selwyn District Council backing to build a world-class museum, the Charles Upham Centre, in Rolleston.
The association said it has been collecting artefacts for more than 50 years.
The collection is currently housed at Burnham Military Camp, but association president Wayne Hutchinson said public access is restricted.
It has a comprehensive collection of South Island soldiers’ memorabilia, with some prized and very valuable.
There is also a musical drum that was used to carry shell dressings at Gallipoli.
It also has a library of military books, pictures, videos and discs with interview files of past soldiers, invaluable to researchers.
The association envisages building a museum with creative, immersive experiences designed with the audience at the core. But it will come at a cost.
The association wants to model it on the National Anzac Centre in Albany, Western Australia.
That centre cost $10.6 million to build in 2014 and was fully funded by the federal and Western Australian governments.
Hutchinson said while there has been little done in the financial space to date, $10 million would be the minimum for the project.
Council community services and facilities executive director Denise Kidd said it is considering conducting a feasibility study into the museum, which would be done internally and not require any budget allocated to it.
“We are not asking for any money within the LTP (Long Term Plan) budget for this piece of work. If it was to be undertaken it would be done within the work programme of staff as they are able to or we would pursue external sources of funding,” Kidd told councillors.
Kidd said it would offer no guarantee council would provide any funding to the project.
It comes as the council is looking at what projects may be cut from its Long Term Plan.
Concerns were raised by councillors over council staff conducting the feasibility study, with the proposed rates hike of 15.6 per cent front-of-mind.
“If we commit to even a feasibility study for this that’s an unknown sum of money going into consultancy and fact-finding rather than actual impact,” Rolleston Ward councillor Sophie McInnes said.
“I’m worried this will be another feasibility study that informs but goes nowhere and loses impact somewhere else in the community,” McInnes said.
The association intends to submit to the council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan. Submissions close on May 2.
Hutchinson said the association’s proposal will seek to establish a trust in partnership with the council and other stakeholders.
The association also will ask the council to reserve a site in Rolleston for the centre, and for council participation in the development of the project charter and the concept plan development.
NZDF 2nd and 4th battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Seeds, who is based at Burnham, said the NZDF has had a close, positive relationship with Selwyn District and Rolleston.
“Any district military museum should reflect the service of personnel based at Burnham over its history, and the contribution of families as well.
“The museum should also educate about the history of the range of units that have called Burnham home over the camp’s history,” Seeds said.
