Public plea not to cut Te Papa's funding

Te Papa's using public support to show the Wellington City Council just how important its full funding is.

The council's proposing to cut Te Papa's funding from $2.25 million to just $1 million per year.

Visitors to the museum over the past week have left thousands of post-it notes on a 'Save Our Services' board.

Communications manager Phil McGrath says the notes have focused on how much people value the educational side of Te Papa, or on telling the council Te Papa is our treasure and to invest in it.

"We're now asking members of the public to make an official submission.

"We don't want to cut anything but if we lose money, we will be cutting services. We don't want to go down that path."

Mr McGrath says they've included what people love about the museum, as well as direct messages to the council.

"People have said, hey council, you put in two million, we all get $59 million back. That's great mathematics, why would you jeopardise that.

"We've got information about what our public are saying and that goes into our public submission."

Photo: Edward Swift