Ashburton’s Aviation Museum is receiving a $100,000 “bridging loan” from the council to ensure no delays in completing its hangar extension project.
Building committee chairman Owen Moore said they have raised almost $2 million in two years to complete the project.
The museum is home to one of New Zealand’s largest collections of aircraft, with over 40 preserved aircraft, including rare military jets like the Harrier GR3 and Skyhawk.
“We are the biggest (aircraft) museum in New Zealand now, with the most aircraft on display. Maybe not the biggest number, but the most on display,” Moore said.
The new building, which joins the existing two hangars, is “all locked up and mostly all framed up inside”.
“We are at the point where we are now starting the reception.”
The loan application to the council was “more about timing rather than the fact that we don’t have the money”.
The timing issue was that they needed the money immediately to continue work on the project, as various funding grants they are applying for won’t have funds available until the end of the year, he said.
“We wanted to get some money in the bank to finish, not the whole job, but at least the reception and toilets area.”
Moore said asking the council for a loan wasn’t the last option, but an option to help progress the project.
The council loan means that local contractors on site can continue working on the project, rather than everything grinding to a halt while waiting for funding grant applications to be processed.
