Museum deliberation day

City Transformation committee chair Cr Larry Baldock says the referendum opposition to the museum represents only 18 per cent of eligible voters. Photo: Supplied.

City councillors are expected to make their call today on which of the museum options will be included in the Long Term Plan; a combined museum/library in the central city, a stand-alone museum at Cliff road, or none at all.

To assist them, councillors will have the results of the non-binding referendum plus reports on how the council's decision making process over the last two trimesters has got them to this point.

The museum deliberations are expected to begin at 1pm at a public meeting in the council chambers.

Today's deliberations have to deal with the facts that a museum anywhere will be a decision going against the results of both the non-binding referendum - and the weight of submissions in the public Long Term Plan hearings.

The staff count-up has 23.7 per cent or 412 of the submissions supporting the stand alone museum on cliff road. The combined museum has the support of 358 or 20.6 per cent of submitters.

Option three, not supporting a museum, is the submission made by 970 ratepayers and groups, or 55.7 per cent of the submissions.

Reasons given by 970 submitters opposing a museum are:

  • There are other funding priorities 62, per cent.

• Cost / debt / rate is an issue 25 per cent.

  • A museum is not needed now or in the future 22 per cent.

'The results are considered broadly consistent with the referendum results of 58.95 per cent against and 41.05 per cent in support, and Key Research figures of 41 per cent of ratepayers willing to pay for a museum,” says the report by Project Lead Investment Planning Cultural Facilities, Carole Canler and Heart of the city programme director, Adele Hadfield.

The recommendation to councillors is that a stand-alone museum be included in the LTP 2018-28. The rationale is:

  • While not a majority, a significant proportion of the population supports the development of a museum in Tauranga. The feedback received from a range of community engagement processes is consistent. The LTP results do not alter the rationale for including the proposal in the LTP 2018-28.
  • A museum would support the community's desire to 'tell our stories” and build our sense of identity.
  • The museum capital and operational costs are a small proportion of the total expenditure of Council.
  • Capping expenditure towards the museum is a way of balancing cost issues against support for a museum.
  • A stand-alone museum has a benefit-cost ratio above 1, meaning that the economic benefits of developing a museum exceeds the costs.

Staff also recommend the site selection should be co-led by Tangata Whenua leadership and Council which means Cliff road.

Tangata Whenua leadership was advised prior to the LTP Deliberations meeting. The Kaumatua and Tangata Whenua group met on May 24 and reiterated, that the Cliff Road site was the only culturally appropriate site for Tauranga's proposed museum development.

The council options are for Cliff Road to invest $20.7m in a stand-alone museum comprised of a capped capital contribution of $15m towards a museum and $5.7m4 towards access improvements to Cliff Road with the expectation to raise an additional $35m externally to reach a total development cost of $55.7m.

The average annual net operational expenditure for this is $4.9m per annum; the museum would be operational in 2025/26.

Option 2 is to invest $44.6m in a combined museum and central library comprised of a capped capital contribution of $39.6m towards a combined museum and central library and $5m towards recognition of the cultural significance of Cliff Road with the expectation to raise an additional $37.7m externally to reach a total development cost of $82.3m.

The average annual net operational expenditure for this is $6.2m per annum; the facility would be operational in 2023/24.

Option 3 is no investment in a museum at this time.

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18 comments

Time for democracy

Posted on 29-05-2018 10:14 | By Angels

If no democracy is shown by council. Then time to go to the streets and court. If they ignore us the majority, time to look into legal action possible.??? But for sure street protests, including Badlock etc homes. Time to get serious if our vote is ignored.


Shameful.

Posted on 29-05-2018 10:24 | By morepork

To see a democratic process completely ignored in the interests of self indulgence. The only "deliberation" I see here is the deliberate attempt to be annoying. Can't wait for Council elections.


Shameful arrogance from TCC

Posted on 29-05-2018 11:16 | By Captain Sensible

Remember the purpose of Council....to do what the voters tell them to do. NOT the other way round! The referendum said NO. So do what you're told. Shameful anti democratic arrogance from TCC....again.


No

Posted on 29-05-2018 11:21 | By Merlin

No means NO when is going to get the message.


answer is

Posted on 29-05-2018 11:30 | By Capt_Kaveman

Nil


A word of advice

Posted on 29-05-2018 11:32 | By The Sage

The Council better save their (our) money for the law suits brought against them for the Bella Vista debacle.


no more time for our councillors

Posted on 29-05-2018 11:41 | By hapukafin

so much for wasting the rate payers money on the referendum our council is hell bent on wasting more time and money to make a descision when the people has spoken


Puzzled

Posted on 29-05-2018 12:40 | By rastus

One can only be totally puzzled by the arrogance of all those concerned with pushing for a museum in the face of all the genuine opposition to such a venture - who do these people think they are??? I certainly cannot answer that and I doubt that the protagonists have ever stopped to question how their tiny minds have and continue to spout out such anti democratic wailings


Beware

Posted on 29-05-2018 12:40 | By Told you

You had better adopt option 3 or you won't have a job come October 2019.


Councils just waste money

Posted on 29-05-2018 12:50 | By joan king

The council will do what it wants to and wasted money doing a referendum. After a government in NZ is chose by all those who vote. Why should councils be any different. I agree with the bella vista comment. I think council might be in for trouble there and no I dont live anywhere near it but you cannot sign off something and then pull out when the troubles start. I see beautiful plans for the city in the paper today for people to get around costing billions but how are people supposed to get into the city. Roading generally in all of Tauranga is bad. No mention of that. Museums are not a priority. Get your core systems fixed first. Museums are not a place to frequent a lot anyway. Been once and you have seen it.


Unreal..

Posted on 29-05-2018 12:55 | By Marshal

I know the French Revolution was a long time ago.. lol A few can't stomp on the many forever..!! Lets start again, and get a "Real Council" to preside over Tauranga.. I often wonder whether, the Council have Half Witt's permanently employed or is it another tender process thing .. LOL


vote them out

Posted on 29-05-2018 13:12 | By Captain Sensible

They have forgotten that Council's job is to do as they are told by the ratepayers. It is NOT the other way round. Shameful anti democratic TCC.


wasted money

Posted on 29-05-2018 13:41 | By dumbkof2

does anyone know how to deduct the museum portion from our rates. if everyone does this the blockhead councilors might take notice


Out with this council

Posted on 29-05-2018 13:45 | By roseh

WHY was there so much money wasted on this referendom,when most of this council had all ready decided what was going to hoppen and where.We just need to keep in mind you wanted what and vote them out in 2019 Mayor included.To me it has been an ongoing waste of rate payers money in lots of things.They need to get real How about trying to live on a single pension for a few months and see how you big time ones go.


No ears

Posted on 29-05-2018 14:18 | By About that

Come on Council, how many times do you have to hear it......we don't want your museum. It is an absolute waste of time and money. What revenue is this going to generate against what it is going to cost to build? Nothing!! If you build the museum, I personally will initiate a city wide partician and protests against any rates increase that will support this venture. There are far more important things to focus on at present, ie, homelessness, poverty, poor insufficient dangerous roads etc. All of these issues have been partially contributed to by council. Building a museum in sight of these issues would be seen as regligent and irresponsible. The money should be used to help try and resolve the issues illustrated. Pull your heads in council, open your eyes and ears and listen to the people who pay your wages.


How to run a business Lesson One

Posted on 29-05-2018 15:10 | By The Sage

Anyone who has owned or run a business of their own knows that if you have major concerns and expenditure looming in one area, for example Bella Vista, you need to sort it out and see what finances you have available afterwards, before you embark on more major expenditure, like the museum. This is called budgeting and good business practice. Failure to do this generally results in a business going off the rails. Sadly this Council seems to lack anyone who knows how to run a business, if they did, they wouldn’t be in this position. Start running a business instead of a bureaucracy. If you don’t have the expertise to do this, shed the people who can’t and employ capable people.


dumbkof2

Posted on 29-05-2018 16:42 | By hapukafin

everyone that opposes the museum just deduct $200 and annotate it against museum amount


@ dumbkof2

Posted on 29-05-2018 20:57 | By Crash test dummies

No they wont, the CEO will tell then to butt out and they will run away like silly little lambs to teh slaughter yet again, they will treat it as unpaid arrears of rates and so deal to it with penalties then extract ex the bank/mortgagee. We should actually have a binding referendum that an online vote of 50%+ votes cast binds Council to comply e.g. 50% staff cost/numbers reduction, any no essential is paid by a special rate on thpse who want it. Then lets see how many Museums there are.


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