Christchurch ratepayers will put up to $1.2 million into Orana Wildlife Park, after city councillors voted on Wednesday to throw the struggling zoo a lifeline just two days before it celebrates its 50th birthday.
The Christchurch City Council’s finance and performance committee voted 13 to 3 to follow the staff recommendation and pay $1.2 million towards the park’s budget shortfall for the 2026/27 financial year. The money will come from the council’s forecast operating surplus rather than a rates increase, and will be paid in two instalments during the second half of the financial year.
The grant comes with strings attached. According to Chris Lynch Media, payment depends on the council receiving Orana’s half-year financial results, the park staying open, and satisfactory progress on its financial sustainability and recovery plan. RNZ reported that councillors also want Orana to seek contributions from neighbouring councils, the regional council, central government and the Rata Foundation.
The $1.2 million covers well under a third of the hole. Orana, New Zealand’s only open-range zoo, said earlier this month that it needs about $4.1 million this financial year and that its cash reserves are forecast to run out by March 2027 without more help. An independent review by accounting firm BDO estimated the annual shortfall would grow to between $4.6 million and $5.6 million in each of the following five years. In their report to councillors, council staff described it as a structural funding problem rather than a short-term cash flow squeeze.
Councillor Mark Peters framed the grant as a bridge to a bigger public conversation. “This buys us the time to get through to that Long Term Plan, so that we can hear from the people of Christchurch,” he said. Peters said consultation on the council’s next long-term plan would let residents decide whether ongoing support for Orana should become a priority, or whether they were prepared to see the park wound down.
Several councillors made the point that Orana draws visitors from well beyond Christchurch’s boundaries. Councillor Tim Scandrett backed the grant but said the city’s ratepayers should not carry the attraction alone. “It’s now time for Selwyn and Waimak to stand up and be counted. Our ratepayers cannot continually carry the burden,” he said. Council documents show neighbouring councils had previously declined to join a regional funding arrangement.
Harewood ward councillor Aaron Keown was one of the park’s strongest advocates. “Orana Park is 80ha with more than 1000 animals, it runs endangered species breeding and education programmes, plays an important role in bringing in visitors and is the only place most local kids will have the opportunity to see a white rhino, or a real lion,” he said. Keown acknowledged ongoing public support could reach about $5 million a year, but argued the cost would be easier to bear if it were shared among households in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri.
Not everyone was convinced. Councillor Nathaniel Herz-Jardine voted against the grant, warning that a first contribution could turn into a much larger and continuing commitment. He pointed out that Auckland and Wellington zoos need about $5 million a year in direct council funding even after ticket sales and donations. “I just really don’t think we should start something if we’re not prepared to finish it,” he said. He argued council money would do more good spent on roads, water services, affordable housing, community facilities and biodiversity projects, and suggested the park would not face the same gap if half of Christchurch visited once a year.
Before the vote, Mayor Phil Mauger signalled he was open to the council taking on a more regular funding role. He told Chris Lynch Media that Christchurch had done relatively little compared with the cities that fund their zoos. “We, to be fair, we haven’t been doing that much compared to the others, so it’s something that we need to look at,” he said. Councillor Sam MacDonald took a more cautious line in the same report. “Council cannot be the funder of last resort for every organisation facing financial pressure,” he said.
The council is not new to propping up Orana. A 2024 package included $240,000 a year for three years, $310,000 for maintenance and professional advice, and a further $500,000 in each of the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. Central government has shown no appetite to step in, with Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour telling Chris Lynch Media that national taxpayers should not be required to keep the park running.
The public has also chipped in. In a statement released for the park’s 50th anniversary, Orana said more than 600 donors had given over $50,000 through Givealittle, direct deposit and its website since it launched a recovery fundraising campaign. That is welcome but small beside a multimillion-dollar annual gap, which is why the council decision matters so much to the park.
Chief executive Rachel Haydon welcomed the vote. “We are absolutely thrilled with Council’s decision and understand the difficult choices Councillors must make,” she said. “To receive this support during our 50th birthday week is like getting the best birthday present – it’s incredibly meaningful and a huge boost for our team.”
Orana turns 50 on Friday, 25 September. The park is home to more than 1000 animals, including New Zealand’s only gorillas, and says it has bred more than 80 scimitar-horned oryx, a species once declared extinct in the wild, as well as 13 giraffe and 20 cheetah. It has also bred and released more than 350 endangered native birds, including kiwi, blue duck and brown teal, and is one of only two places breeding the orange-fronted parakeet, New Zealand’s rarest parakeet, for release alongside the Department of Conservation. Birthday celebrations this weekend include a photo exhibition marking 50 key moments in the park’s history, along with special trails and family activities.
The grant buys Orana time, but not certainty. The real test comes in early 2027, when councillors review the half-year accounts, and then through the 2027 to 2037 long-term plan, when Christchurch residents will be asked directly whether they want to help fund the zoo every year. Whether Selwyn, Waimakariri and other funders answer the call to share the load may decide whether Orana reaches its 51st birthday on a secure footing.
Should Christchurch ratepayers help keep Orana open, or should neighbouring districts and the government pay their share? Have your say in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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