Tauranga needs a museum like most ratepayers need a hole in the head. A measly amount donated by the Government, which they would reap back in taxation and GST from the construction, would leave us ratepayers with an enormous debt created by funding such a white elephant followed by the horrendous cost of running the museum at more ratepayers' cost.

Has Tauranga MP Simon Bridges ever been for example to The Elms and seen the dribble of people wandering through there. Visitors to the Bay come here for the sand and sea at the Mount - not to visit museums etc.

Good Lord I have been to museums and there have only been a few people wandering round. It's the same at the Auckland Museum. Not many people visit places just because there is a museum unless there is a special exhibition on like the current one in Wellington.

A good sporting and events centre would be a better bet than a museum. However ,we are deep enough in debt right now so let's hold off on spending more ratepayers money. If any group wants a museum then let them fund it via their own fundraising like crowdfunding or whatever and leave us poor TCC-raped and savaged ratepayers out of it, we owe enough. As an aside it is interesting Simon is concerned about the lack of a museum but I have never heard him express any concern about the hundreds of millions TCC owes.

A Bourne, Bethlehem