savethepoint.org.nz

Extract from Council Summary - Draft Annual Plan 2005/06

The proposed Aquarium of New Zealand - Te Moana Tamariki aims to foster greater understanding of the region's marine environment. It is expected to receive more than 190,000 visitors a year.

The Council has previously committed operational funding to help the project get under way. The Wellington Marine Conservation Trust is now seeking $19.6 million in capital to build the aquarium. The Council proposes to provide a $7 million loan, to be repaid over 25 years, conditional on the trust raising the rest of the money from other sources.

We believe the aquarium will be an important new visitor attraction for Wellington. It could sit alongside the Sanctuary of New Zealand and the city's parks and reserves in a cluster of nature-based attractions.