Rain or shine, Ann-Elisa Miles continues to share her passion for Rotorua’s museum as a volunteer guide - despite the building having been closed since 2016.

Now, as Rotorua Lakes Council considers difficult decisions about the iconic building’s future, she is urging it to keep investing in strengthening the Bath House to restore it as a museum.

“It is the soul of Rotorua.”

This is one of four options for the iconic Rotorua Museum - Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa’s future councillors will receive in a meeting tomorrow. According to the meeting agenda, they will be asked to decide whether to give the go-ahead to begin consulting the public about the four options.

The options were to restore and re-open the museum; to stage the project; postpone it; or to earthquake-proof the building to a lower standard - which would mean it could not be used as a museum.

The building closed in 2016 after sustaining significant structural damage in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Kaikōura.

It is more than 100 years old and carries a Category 1 heritage rating.

Despite not being able to access the interior, Miles has continued to conduct tours of the outside of the building.

The Norwegian told Local Democracy Reporting she had spent 20 years sharing her love and what she’s learned of Rotorua’s past.

She believed no time should be wasted in fixing and opening the building as a museum, and said it was of national significance.

She acknowledged she held strong views on the issue and said she believed the building and the land, with its rich history, was the appropriate place to house Rotorua’s treasures.

Rotorua Museum has been closed since 2016. Photo / Laura Smith

According to a report being presented to the council, the construction budget needed to complete the restoration was now estimated to be at least $81.4 million, meaning the council would need to find about an extra $28m capital investment if it chose to pursue this.

The report suggested the extra cost could be met through $9m of council funding, obtained through borrowing, and $19m of external funding.

National Party Rotorua MP Todd McClay said as an MP, he did not hold a view on any options, but believed there would be strong opinions from the public as to what to do.

He said the total project cost was “a very large amount of money”, which had the potential to grow. He also noted the current economic climate.

“We’ve got to keep in mind what is affordable at the moment,” McClay said.

He believed public consultation was the best way forward and called for “calm and respectful” discussion.

Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Reynold Macpherson said its members held diverse views on the museum.

“Some want it to go back to central government, where it came from.

“Some see it as beautiful and iconic, and far more worthy of restoration than other pet projects because it could generate income.”

He said others saw the “escalating costs” and the council’s financial situation as reasons for mothballing it.

In his view: “Elected members would be wise to commission advice on all options from a licenced and experienced quantity surveyor and then consult ratepayers.”

A Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga spokesperson said it was aware of the four proposed options.

“The Bath House (former) is of national and international significance for its association with the development of overseas tourism to Aotearoa New Zealand.”

The spokesperson said the building stood on Ngāti Whakaue gifted land when the government established Rotorua as a tourist resort in 1880, and was the first major building project carried out by the government to stimulate international interest in its spas.

Heritage New Zealand would continue to work with the council and other parties to explore the options and assist in finding a course of action that “best conserves the cultural, social and architectural heritage of this significant building”.

The museum’s website said the council took over control of the Bath House from the government in 1963, and the museum opened in its south wing in 1969.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said there was, naturally, a lot of interest in the future of what the building will be.

“Progress has unfortunately been slow to date, but we’re committed to finding a solution as soon as possible.

“The projected cost for fully restoring it to a museum has risen drastically since the council last consulted with the community in 2018.”

Since the last consultation was five years ago, a lot had changed, and she believed it would be appropriate to ask the community what their aspirations for the building were and what they were willing to pay.

“The big question is how much of a priority this project is to our community now that we know a full restore will cost upwards of $81.4m, with ongoing costs expected.”

A council spokesperson said elected members will be considering the matter at tomorrow’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting.