Jessica Hopkins, Mayor backs Auckland Museum’s request for government funding – but it has no plans to help, Radio NZ, 11 February 2026
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is backing the Auckland War Memorial Museum‘s request for the government to help top up its cash flow.
Most of the museum has been open to the public since October, after asbestos was found in the almost 100-year-old building, forcing a five month shut-down. But the Te Marae Ātea Māori Court and Pacific galleries are still closed off due to asbestos risk.
Auckland Museum chief executive David Reeves said the cost of removing the asbestos, estimated to be more than $10 million, and the impact of the months-long closure on revenue had put the museum in a precarious financial position.