Sir Michael says YES!
"The most exciting opportunity Whangarei has ever had" is how Sir Michael Hill is describing the proposed Hundertwasser
Wairau Maori Art Centre.
As voters weigh their options, Hundertwasser supporters are urging Whangarei to consider the advice of one of the city’s
most famous sons.
In an interview with Jennifer Dann, Sir Michael Hill – jeweller, entrepreneur and philanthropist – called the
Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre “the most exciting opportunity that Whangarei has ever had. It will be a huge
tourist draw card that will bring people from all over the world.”
“There are always people that will knock spending money on such a project but in the long term we’re all going to
benefit enormously.
“When Frank Lloyd Wright was going to build the Guggenheim Museum in New York, there was an enormous protest and people
said, ‘if this ridiculous building is built, it will ruin our reputation as a global city.
“If we don’t do it, I think it will be a tragedy for Whangarei. The city will really regret it.. Hundertwasser actually
lived in the Bay of Islands and he left a gift of that design. This is a unique opportunity and we can’t stand still”
says Sir Michael.
Born in Whangarei, Michael Hill started out as an aspiring musician and watch maker. His passion for creativity inspired
him to found Michael Hill Jeweller in 1979, then open seven shops in just seven years and 70 more in the following seven
years. The company is now an international brand, with stores in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Sir Michael continues to serve as its chairman.
The referendum decides the fate of the former Harbour Board building in Whangarei’s Town Basin. Empty for 12 years, the
Whangarei District Council have put forward three options for it’s future; Harbourside (a maritime-themed museum), the
Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre or demolition.
Harbourside will cost Whangarei ratepayers $2.5m and upwards of $400,000 per annum to operate. Hundertwasser will cost
ratepayers $2.8m, with no ongoing operating expenses. A recently reviewed Deloitte Feasibility Study predicts the
Hundertwasser art centre will reach an operating surplus of $800.000 by it’s tenth year of operation.
ENDS