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Auckland Museum is proposing to axe 30 roles as it wrestles with plunging visitor numbers after asbestos was detected earlier this year and remediation costs of up to $10 million.

Tumu Whakarae chief executive David Reeves said today: “This is an incredibly difficult position to be in, but a review is regrettably a necessary step towards securing the financial recovery of the museum”.

The museum’s review and proposal to affected staff announced today could see it lose 30 roles. The museum said it has around 14 roles currently vacant.

The 30 jobs amount to about 10% of its total workforce and the proposed changes would reduce annual staff costs by around $2.4m a year. Staff had been consulted with and that would continue until September 25, the museum said.

“The review aims to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the museum, while continuing to provide great visitor experiences and services,” Reeves said.

“It’s important that we respond to the situation, and make sure we are in a position to recover well when conditions improve.

“This is a very difficult time for our people, and we are committed to supporting them throughout this process.

“We’ll be seeking input from our staff over the coming weeks. Their feedback will be carefully considered before any decisions are finalised,” Reeves said.

‘No longer sustainable’ 

The museum expects revenue to be $5.8m lower than budget over the next three years, while the cost of fixing its asbestos issues could be over $10m.

The tourist hotspot was forced to close on May 10 after asbestos dust was detected in the museum’s original 1929 building and its Grand Foyer. More asbestos was later identified in “additional areas of the building”.

The museum reopened in stages 24 days after working with WorkSafe New Zealand and Auckland Council, and receiving clearance from a licensed asbestos assessor but sections of the building still remain closed off.

Auckland Museum was closed for 24 days after the discovery of asbestos dust. Photo / File

Reeves said ”the unplanned closure of the museum due to the discovery of asbestos earlier this year has resulted in decreased income, to a level that is no longer sustainable. We also face significant and ongoing costs for asbestos remediation”.

The discovery and remediation of “asbestos has disrupted public engagement activities and access to key galleries”, the museum said.

The museum was also impacted by lower international visitors - a trend that has hurt similar venues across the country.

Visitor numbers and income were behind budgets - and the museum said that “visitation forecasts” for 2025/26 financial year were 10% behind target, which was expected to lead to a $2m hit to revenue.