C Thompson's letter ‘Give us a museum: a gondola won't work' (The Weekend Sun, March 7), once again raises the question of a museum for Tauranga.

I am not against museums, but a 21st Century museum might be a better bet.

I have, four years ago, prior to the election which removed councillors who supported a $23 million over-the-water museum, suggested a digitised museum. This could have been done while cataloguing was taking place. Better still would be a modern system capable of hologram transmission. Once done, the need for storage at ratepayers' expense would be eliminated, the property being returned to its owners.

Since most of this would belong to various iwi or local tribal authorities, they could display it if it is so popular, as to attract overseas visitors to Tauranga. Maybe there would be some profit. We can already visit world-famous art galleries and museums via computers.

Attending static displays behind glass cabinets has lost its fascination for present and probably future generations. Perhaps our council could make an effort to think of future-users, as ratepayers don't have the income to support another building plus storage costs.

Especially if the latest comments about a 15,000-seat football stadium ever gets off the ground. The council already has the costly Bayfair white elephant, let's not have another waste of money football ground. Has no one told our councillors worldwide, stadiums don't make profits, but rather the opposite?

G Catton, Pyes Pa.