The case for revitalisation – Faraday Centre
Napier City Council sought to understand the future viability of the Faraday Centre and the investment required to ensure it could continue to operate as a relevant and sustainable visitor attraction.
The question wasn’t just what to fix, but whether the Centre’s current model still made sense.
The Centre faced evolving operational and financial pressures, alongside uncertainty about its future scope, function and configuration. Since the original 2017 analysis, there was a need to revisit assumptions, reassess opportunities for collaboration and revenue generation, and consider alternative operating models. At the same time, any future direction needed to align with Council objectives and be sufficiently robust to support Long Term Plan decision-making, balancing ambition with affordability and deliverability.
We rebuilt the case from the ground up, testing what the Centre could realistically become – not just what it currently was.
We built on the previous analysis by updating the evidence base, incorporating new stakeholder input, and re-running the options assessment to ensure all viable futures were tested. A preferred option was then developed and translated into a refreshed business case and supporting revenue generation strategy, identifying funding pathways and key implementation considerations to support Council decision-making.
We used a collaborative, workshop-led process designed to move quickly from uncertainty to clarity.
We began with an initial workshop to refresh understanding of current challenges and opportunities, including changes since 2017 and emerging operational considerations. This was followed by an options workshop to reassess potential future pathways and identify a preferred direction. Targeted engagement with stakeholders supported exploration of collaboration and revenue opportunities. Findings were then integrated into a draft business case, validated against comparable facilities, and tested with Council officers before being refined for final presentation and Long Term Plan alignment.
The business case provided an updated evidence base to support Council decision-making on the future of the Faraday Centre.
The work refreshed the original analysis and re-tested the full range of options for the Centre, from maintaining the status quo through to alternative operating and investment models. It clarified the financial and operational implications of each pathway and provided Council with a structured basis for Long Term Plan discussions and community consultation. Rather than determining a single fixed direction, the business case enabled informed trade-offs to be considered and supported ongoing decision-making around the Centre’s future role and viability.
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