No support for rise in museum levy

Press, 10 March 1988, Page 29

No support for rise in museum levy

The Canterbury Museum Trust (Board needs to take a ! more upmarket approach to marketing the mtjseum, according to Cr Patrick Harron, of the Waimairi District Council. j Cr Harrow, the council’s representative on] the Museum Board, told the finance and policy] committee that he had opposed any increase of more than 9 per cent on the museum's leyy on contributing local authorities. However, in spite of his opposition, the board decided to provide: in its 1988-89 estimates for a total levy from local authorities’ of $322 153, an increase of 11.82 per cent on last year. Cr Harrow hought there were other ways the museum could increase its income, such as with a “partial” door charge. He suggested that residents within the Can erbury United Council boundary could receive two free passes to the ifiuseum each year, while all other visitors paid a charge of $4 an adult, or S2 a child. Schools would have

special charges. Such a scheme would probably increase patronage too, Cr Harrow said. "I know that with the number of overseas visitors more and more museums are having to charge. I think the Museum Board is a little too conservative in its approach to marketing the museum.” Waimairi District's chairman, Mrs Margaret Murray, agreed with Cr Harrow, saying that local authorities were being asked to contribute a substantial amount.

“In days gone by we always thought of museums as free places where anybody could go without paying, but I think we know now that there is no such thing as a free place and when they are free the people do not respect them.” Cr Des King said the council should back Cr Harrow in his suggestions to the Museum Board. There were a lot of ratepayers who never went to the museum and they should not be asked to pay a share of the council’s grant when overseas

tourists got into the museum free. Cr Harrow and council staff will prepare a report on museum financing. Cemetery charges Several councillors are concerned about the proposed increase in cemeterv charges, from April 1. Cr Gordon Freeman noted that the rise in burial fees for full-sized plots would be from $l6O to $2lO, an increase of about 30 per cent. The additional fee for burials at week-ends, public holidays, and before 10 a.m. on Mondays and the day after public holidays will rise from $lOO to $250. The fee for a single plot will increase from $2lO to $275, while double plots will rise from $420 to $550.

The committee’s chairman, Mr John Hanafin, said he thought the reason the charges were so high was that Waimairi was trying to keep in line with the Christchurch City Council fees. If the Waimairi Ceme-

tery fell too far behind with its charges, it would "fill up too soon,” he said. The user-pays concept also helped to keep down over-all costs to the ratepayer. Sports grounds An average increase of 23 per cent proposed for the hiring charges for sports grounds and facilities has been questioned. Cr Bruce McFadden said that many sports clubs were struggling at present, and there would be a reaction from them to the increase in charges. Cr King said he was opposed to any increase at all. As far as he was concerned sport should be free. Cr Hanafin said the council had to be realistic, and try to keep its charges relevant to those charged by the Christchurch City Council. However, the City Council intended to reconsider its proposed recreation charge increases, and if it decided to make a change Waimairi might also rethink its fees.