By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporting
The future of Whanganui’s Virginia Lake aviary has been secured after councillors voted to overturn closure plans and instead commit ongoing funding to keep the facility open.
The decision – confirmed at a full council meeting on Tuesday – ends more than a year of uncertainty.
Whanganui District Council confirmed it will cover the aviary’s $60,000 annual running costs, reversing a 2024 decision to decommission the attraction and rehome the birds.
Chief executive David Langford said this was possible because of the council’s strong financial position, including a $1.9 million operating surplus.
“The council will continue to fund the aviary’s core operations to make sure it remains open to everyone,” Langford said.
The council will cover this year’s costs from its 2024/25 operating surplus and will build the expense into future budgets.
New partnership model
The dramatic turnaround comes after more than a year of negotiations with the Friends of the Aviary Trust, a community group formed to save the facility.
“The council supported this as a way of trying a new partnership model for the aviary,” Langford said.
“While the Trust has made real progress in improving animal care practices, they have faced challenges, particularly around fundraising in the current economic climate.”
The council had agreed in principle to sell the aviary structure for $1 and lease the site back for a nominal rent, but the Trust struggled to raise the money to take on full responsibility for running the facility.
Instead, the council will fund day-to-day operations, while the Trust will focus on community fundraising, wildlife conservation and education projects.
In last year’s long-term plan decision, councillors voted to close the aviary to save money, following consultation that drew more than 1400 submissions and a community split almost evenly between closure and retention.
At the time, operating costs were projected to climb to $190,000 a year, partly to address concerns raised in a 2023 zoological audit.
After the decision, the Friends of the Aviary Trust came forward with a proposal to save the facility by taking it over.
‘Tough economic climate’
But the Trust was unable to raise the funds needed to run the facility. Negotiations over lease terms also proved complex, with issues of liability and risk slowing progress.
A report to councillors this week acknowledged that in the current “tough economic climate”, the Trust had been unable to secure the community fundraising needed to shoulder full responsibility.
In the meantime, the council’s finances improved dramatically, reducing the urgency to cut services.
The report from Langford advised councillors there was room to revisit earlier decisions.
It said council staff and the Trust had worked together to improve bird welfare, introducing enrichment activities and new feeding practices that addressed the audit’s findings.
With the Trust’s involvement reducing the need for paid staff, costs had fallen to less than a third of the projected $190,000.
The report recommended reinstating the aviary as a council-run activity.
It said: “This recommendation strikes an appropriate balance between keeping rates affordable whilst also retaining an asset that is much loved by the community.”
Langford said the Friends of the Aviary Trust remained central to the facility’s future.
“The Friends have shown real passion and commitment and the council and the Trust have worked together to make important improvements to the welfare of the birds … the partnership will continue, but with a clearer split in responsibilities,” he said.
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