THE PRESS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1978. Town Hall costs and benefits

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 8

THE PRESS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1978. Town Hall costs and benefits

The secretary of the Christchurch Town Hall Board of Management. Mr J. H. Gray, has put the present cost of the Town Hall to public funds at 810,000 a week. About half of this amount is the deficit between the enterprise’s receipts and payments. The remainder is for interest and repayments of the capital sum borrowed to produce the building.

By reducing the cost that must be met by Christchurch local authorities to a weekly charge Mr Gray has made the genera) financial position of the Town Hall very easy to comprehend. This kind of figure may also raise the thought that the enterprise is too costly. Anyone who takes that view would be hard put to it to suggest more economical wavs of running the Town Hall and still keep up a reasonable standard of maintenance and service. So far in its financial year the board of management has been snaring in maintenance work and reluctant to make costly capital improvements.

This policy may mean that the board is merely deferring expenditure, but when revenue for the main parts of the building is running below what was hoped for, the board probably has little option. So long as the public is satisfied with the services provided by the Town Hall and is aware that a careful check is being kept on expenditure the board should be confident that the public cost of the building will be borne without serious complaint.

Some parts of the building, the 'conference and meeting rooms, are doing better business than was expected. For the other parts, the auditorium and theatre, business has been declining. Since the Town Hall has captured almost all the Christchurch bookings for performances and meetings that might use the theatre and auditorium no-one can complain that the building has lost any attraction. To some extent the Town Hall creates its own business by its very existence. It has greatly improved the attraction of Christchurch as a city in which conferences, both national and international, may be comfortably and efficiently held. This benefits the whole city and helps to keep Christchurch on the map. Christchurch is indisputably fortunate to have the Town Hall and its excellent facilities. Improvements can be expected as funds permit, but the chances for substantial improvements are now clearly limited. Knowing that they are paying a share of the continuing cost of the building, its maintenance, improvements, and staff, the people of Christchurch can be invited to do little more than ensure that they make the best use of the Town Hall that they can afford. The greatest satisfaction to be had for the outlay is not in the knowledge that the Town Hall is there, is generally admired and attracts almost all the business that is offering but in the knowledge that it is being used by the people of Christchurch.