The vision for a dedicated arts hub in Te Whanganui o Hei | Mercury Bay has taken another step forward.
After three years of focused mahi | work by the Mercury Bay Arts Centre Steering Committee, the group has now formalised as the Mercury Bay Arts Development Trust, a charity currently undergoing registration as a Charitable Trust. The legal entity is established to carry this once-in-a-generation community project into its next phase.
Building on the 2023 Mercury Bay Arts Centre Feasibility Study, the Trust continues to advance the community’s vision for a shared home for the arts and creativity in Whitianga. Led by local artists and arts supporters, the Trust operates independently of Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) but recognises that realising the vision will depend on a continuing open and constructive working relationship with TCDC as a civic partner.
The feasibility study confirmed what many already knew: a community with few suitable spaces for performance, exhibition, or gathering urgently needs a dedicated home for creativity and the arts — an inclusive place for all and a vital anchor for the district’s creative and cultural life.
“The study found overwhelming community support for an Arts Centre — a long-overdue facility that people are genuinely excited to use and contribute to.” — Christine Ennis, CME Consulting, Mercury Bay Arts Centre Feasibility Study
Grounded in consultation with Ngāti Hei and guided by principles of respect, accessibility, sustainability and collaboration, the kaupapa / project honours the cultural and spiritual landmarks of Te Whanganui o Hei.
The vision embraces all forms of artistic expression and provides space for everyone to explore and grow their own creative voices. It aligns with TCDC’s 2024 Arts and Creative Industries Strategy, the Hauraki Opportunity wellbeing partnership across Hauraki councils, and the Government’s Amplify – Aotearoa’s Arts, Culture and Creativity Strategy, all recognising the arts as essential to community connection and wellbeing.
In August 2025, the Trust met informally with the Mercury Bay Community Board and outlined the potential repurposing of part of the Old Whitianga Fire Station site and adjoining Council-owned land for location of the arts hub. The section of this building currently leased by Ray White, which fronts Monk Street, is not part of this proposal and remains outside the Trust’s plans until that lease concludes in 2030. At the meeting with the Community Board no formal requests nor recommendations were made; however, the Community Board asked the Trust to return after the local elections with clear evidence of broad community and stakeholder support.
Artists Michael Smither CNZM and G’ian McGregor write in their letter of support:
“Cultural strengths arise through expressed inspirations and action, with mahi and bravery individual to each artist. We ask that TCDC support these acts of bravery with clear and timely
commitment to the provision of the Mercury Bay Arts Hub — an act of bravery from our elected personnel too. There have been years of discussion, expressed desires and frustrations amongst artists of Whitianga and surrounds. Now is the time to act. This is more than an idea. It is a chance to turn the idea into reality.”
Trust Co-Chair Stuart Christie says the proposal marks the beginning of a much longer process:
“Developing the case for use of Council-owned land will be a multi-phased journey,” he says. “Any future consideration would need to go through the full Council process, including assessment, due diligence, and consultation. It will take time and we’ll need to be patient, persistent, and well-prepared at every step.”
The proposed initial relocatable arts hub — a flexible, adaptable facility — is envisioned as a short- to medium-term community solution that could serve the district while laying the groundwork for a future, permanent, purpose-built centre. When that future centre becomes reality, the relocatable structure would continue to serve the wider district through creative, educational or social use on another site.
The Trust’s next steps are to confirm community backing, develop a clear case for collaboration, and begin fundraising for the operation and construction of the relocatable facility — the first tangible phase in bringing the Mercury Bay Arts Hub to life.
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