Tapere Nui theatre at Te Auaha. Photo:
A question mark hangs over the fate of Te Kāhui Auaha campus in central Wellington, with a proposal that may see it close in the face of declining student numbers.
The creative campus on the corner of Cuba Street and Dixon Street opened in 2018, and its facilities include two theatres, a 55-seater cinema, an exhibition gallery and a performance studio.
News of a potential closure surfaced earlier this year, when Whitireia and WelTec - which are part of Te Pūkenga and run Te Kāhui Auaha - said the roll had dropped from 600 in 2018 to fewer than 200 in February.
Arts community leaders expressed concern it would remove an integral part of the area's creative and economic eco-system.
Now, documents seen by RNZ show the campus never reached its goal of 1000 students.
In fact, domestic and international full-time students are declining, and the polytech is running at a budgeted deficit of just over $12 million - a decrease on the previous year's deficit of nearly $19m in 2024.
Director of teaching and learning Dr Leanne Ivil wrote: "We may not be delivering teaching and learning in Te Kāhui Auaha in 2026, and there will be downsizing of our physical footprint at our Whitireia Porirua and Petone campuses."
Nearly a dozen programmes are proposed be cut by the end of 2026, including diplomas in drama, performing arts and dance, and certificates in mechanical engineering, hospitality, business administration and technology, and music.
The proposal said the nature of specialist space and equipment required to deliver performing arts delivery (dance, drama, and musical theatre) against the volume of students made the courses "no longer tenable".
Some of those could be transferred to community or private groups, and others would be relocated to Whitireia's Petone campus.
In a statement, Ivil told RNZ consultation on the changes would close next month, and the decision on the fate of the campus would be finalised by July.
She said no decision had been made on the future of the building or it's facilities and it was too early to estimate how much money would be saved by the move.
Ivil said the majority of students currently enrolled at the campus would complete their studies by the end of this year, but for those who did not, they would find out later this year where they would be completing their study.
Te Pūkenga declined RNZ's request for an interview, and directed questions to the Vocational education minister's office.
Union worried the school of creativity within WelTec, Whitireia will 'cease to exist'
The Tertiary Education Union's Drew Mayhem said consultation - which began in 2022 over the future viability of music programmes - had marked the beginning of a "death spiral" for creativity programmes at the polytechnic.
"We told them at the time that music was the heart and soul of the creative campus and that losing that would be the beginning," Mayhem said.
Since then, the film and screen programmes had been "considerably diminished" by internal restructures, and last year, it lost its Pasifika performing arts programme, the only one of its kind in the country.
"It seems that the school of creativity within WelTec, Whitireia is going to cease to exist."
Mayhem placed responsibility for the cuts at the feet of government's decision to dismantle Te Pūkenga, and restructure the training organisations into a handful of separate entities once again.
"It's only because the minister has directed the individual institutions to try and stand alone, which is directly the cause of these cost cutting measures," Mayhem said.
Vocational education minister Penny Simmonds. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Vocational education minister Penny Simmonds said the government was committed to replacing Te Pūkenga, and decisions regarding individual polytechnics would be made mid-year.
From next year, the government would introduce an "independent, industry-led work-based learning model" which "puts apprentices and trainees at the centre of all decisions made related to trades training and places industry back in the driver's seat", Simmonds said.
"As the minister, I am not privy to information regarding the operational decisions that polytechnics might contemplate.
"However, I would suggest that it is important for Whitireia and Weltec, as it is for all polytechnics, to be taking appropriate actions to ensure their overall viability and maintain their relationships, and it is my understanding that Te Kāhui Auaha campus is not financially viable," she said.
'Death by 1000 cuts', says staff member
A Whitireia and WelTec staff member - who did not want to be named - described a meeting outlining the changes last week as "an absolute shambles", and said despite a month long consultation period, the presentation to staff made the move feel like "a forgone conclusion".
"Since 2019 they have cancelled or moved around 7-8 creative programmes which makes it even more unaffordable. It's been a death by 1000 cuts," they said.
"They keep talking about student numbers being low, but how can they be high or grow when you cut programmes or move them to other campuses to die?"
Wellington's mayor Tory Whanau. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington's mayor Tory Whanau said in February she had sent Simmonds, and finance minister Nicola Willis, a letter outlining her concerns over the closure, describing it as "a blow felt across all the creative industries in Wellington's economy and cultural life at large".
"I urged them to consider how the government could support keeping Te Auaha open given its importance to students and our local arts and events scene," Whanau said.
"This was supported by 38 letters from Wellington arts organisations and Te Auaha graduates."
"Unfortunately, Minister Simmonds has declined to take any action to save Te Auaha. I am talking to local arts organisations about what else can be done to keep Te Auaha open," she said.
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