Council names lead contractor for Theatre Royal, museum job

Thursday, 29 January 2026

Hawkins has been named as the lead contractor for the redevelopment of Timaru’s Theatre Royal and new museum.

With just 11 months to get the job done, the Timaru District Council has announced it has appointed construction company Hawkins to lead the major capital project.

The council issued a statement on Thursday saying construction work would start on Monday, after the council decided to award the contract and voted to proceed with the project at a meeting on Tuesday.

The contract would see Hawkins lead the construction of the redevelopment of the Theatre Royal, a lane way and new museum. It did not mention how much the contract was for, but when asked a council spokesperson said:

“The contract price is covered under commercial sensitivity but is within the overall budget.”

The latest figures put the cost of the project at $47.2 million.

Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen said it was fantastic that the project would be getting under way.

Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen said it was “fantastic” the project would be getting under way.

“From the feedback of the tender team, Hawkins have clearly done their homework on understanding the project.

“Not only have they described a unique delivery method in their tender submission, that meets the budgets and timeframes we requested, importantly for us as [a] council, they have also made a commitment to maximising the use of local resources and suppliers …”

Bowen said that included investing in opportunities for training of young people, which was “a key requirement for any winning tender’’.

Hawkins would move on to the site on Monday, with construction scheduled for completion by December 31, he said.

“With this project, and the stadium project, now under way, these major investments will deliver fantastic new facilities for our current and future sports stars, provide an amazing venue for local and touring shows and enable us to protect and share our cultural heritage.

“Our confidence in investing in our city will also give confidence to others to do likewise and help redefine it as a fantastic place to live, work and play.

Renders of how the redeveloped Theatre Royal may look.

“It’s going to be an exciting year as we see these projects take shape,” Bowen said.

After Hawkins had completed the construction phase, specialised contractors would carry out the final fitout of both venues before they were opened to the public, which was scheduled for early April 2026, he said.

The vote to go ahead with the project was held behind closed doors during Tuesday’s meeting.

Asked which councillors had voted in favour of the project and those who were against, as well as if any had abstained from the vote or declared a conflict of interest, the spokesperson replied:

“The matter was held in public excluded and has not been released yet.”

Timaru District councillors voted to go ahead with the project during a meeting on Tuesday. The council is yet to release the votes for and against. Pictured in October after being sworn in are, from left, Stu Piddington, Scott Shannon, Michelle Pye, Philip Harper, Nigel Bowen, Graeme Wilson, Stacey Scott, Peter Burt, Chris Thomas and Owen Jackson.

Earlier this month it was revealed local building firms had withdrawn their interest in the construction contract.

In 2025, the council sought tenders for five contracts to work on the major capital project. It had since also awarded the other four, and in December confirmed it received five registrations of interest for the main construction contract won by Hawkins.

At the time, the council’s general manager regulatory Paul Cooper told The Timaru Herald three were from from tier one construction companies, one from a tier two company, and the other was a joint-venture between two Timaru construction companies.

A tier one construction company is a large contractor capable of handling major multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects, managing everything from design to handover. A tier two contractor would be capable of handling medium-sized projects.

A request for tender was issued to all five submitters with a due date of December 15.

In July, the council said it planned to award that contract by December 8. However, that was delayed until this week.

The project is required to be completed by December 2026, as per the council’s agreement with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, to remain eligible for a $11.6m Government contribution.

In November, members of the Friends of the Theatre Royal were told a theatre manager should be appointed by Christmas.

Applications for the permanent full-time role were open until November 17, but the job advert said the council could make an appointment prior to the closing date if a suitable applicant was found.

The council is yet to announce an appointment. It was asked to provide an update on Thursday, but is yet to respond.