Chch music groups to get more money

Press, 6 December 1983, Page 5

Chch music groups to get more money

The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Christchurch Civic Music Council should receive more financial help this year than that provided by the Christchurch City Council through Government grant money, said the City Council’s policy and finance committee yesterday. This financial year, the last council’s grants committee allocated $15,000 to the orchestra, $3864 down on the previous year. The Civic Music Council which had sought $7068 for the National Concerto Competition and $4712 for general administration, received nothing from recreation and community development funds allocated by the council.

“We believe this was the first time in the 42-year history of the Music Council that the City Council had ever declined to grant us financial support,” said the council in a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay. “You will know how precarious the finances of the Music Council are, and how we shall be forced to wind up if we do not receive the assistance we have traditionally received from the

parent body which brought us to birth.”

On a motion by Cr Helen Garrett, the committee recommended that $3OOO be made available this financial year for the orchestra, and another $2OOO for the Civic Music Council. Sir Hamish said there had been hesitation on the issue because there was no budgeted provision of such money from rates.

Cr Rex Lester said that councillors criticising the last council for its grants allocations had the power to decide on further funding. “If they want this, they should have the courage to do it,” he said.

Cr M. J. Glubb, the comittee’s chairman, had recommended that council decisions on grants for the present year should stand. There was no funding identified for those groups, nor for any others. A report on a source of funding for the $5OOO recommendation will be made to next week’s council meeting. Payments The committee said that the present annual allowances of $31,200 for the Mayor and $3120 for'' the

Deputy Mayor, Cr Maurice Carter, should be approved by the new council. Chairmen of the eight standing committees, one fewer than during the last council term, should receive $6300 a year, and the daily allowance for other councillors — covering up to 80 meeting days a year — should remain at $29.

During the last council term, the chairmen of five bigger standing committees received $6300 a year. Chairmen of the remaining four received $5OOO a year. Interest earned The City Council has already earned more than expected from investments of general funds in spite of lower interest rates since August.

Interest income of $2.5 million was estimated in this year’s budget, but $2.7 million had been earned by the end of November.

By the end of September, 67 per cent of the estimated interest earnings had been received. Interest income “substantially in excess” of the estimate was predicted by the end of the financial year on March 31.