Te Papa's well known earthquake exhibition is to be replaced in a shake-up at the museum.

Exhibitions such as Awesome Forces, Mountains to Sea and Passports are to be replaced.

Te Papa chief executive Rick Ellis says the permanent exhibitions were cutting edge when the museum opened in 1998, but have now been around for 17 years.

He says the new exhibitions will propel Te Papa back to the forefront of museums worldwide.

Along with the redevelopment of the museum will be a restructure in staff.

Mr Ellis says some roles will change, but he doesn't expect a significant change to overall staff numbers.