Thanks to D Parrot for his reasoned and sensible response to my letter, and to the many people who contacted me, either to support my view (most) or to gain more background facts (‘Museum getting nowhere fast', August 28).

A brickbat to R Bailey, who clearly has no idea about what the Museum Steering Group actually did, or what it discovered and what it proposed, despite us putting up a website to keep people informed at the time.

The Steering Group identified and evaluated 17 potential sites, and its proposal to council short listed three, with the preferred site Cliff Road – the only site actively supported by tangata whenua, who provided an architectural design for the site in addition to that from the Steering Group itself. Both designs allowed for bus parks to bring paying visitors in from cruise ships, not to mention class-loads of school students.

The Steering Group also identified that a Trust could build the museum, and identified where the funds for that might come from. But you can't ask for those funds until you have a confirmed site and council agreement.

Its recommendation to council was that if council donated the land (which it owns) and a resource consent, that would allow a Museum Trust to get on with securing the money to begin construction, which was proposed to be modular so that it could be funded and built in stages.

I note building costs four to five years ago were significantly cheaper than now. The Steering Group in its proposal to council noted that the only contribution over and above that required from ratepayers would be no more than the current amount spent on storing the collection, which next to nobody can see and enjoy.

Unless something has changed, that amounts to more than $2 million in the past five years.

The Group also viewed the collection, and it is disappointing to read comments from some who claim (without seeing it) that the collection is mostly rubbish.

A small bunch of red roses to R Bailey for at least having the intestinal fortitude to write a letter and actually sign it – unlike those on SunLive's comments who prefer to hide away behind a pseudonym so that nobody can tell who the heck they are!

Frankly, I reckon that's rubbish too!

G Purches, Tauranga