Editorial: Museum survey wasn't needed

Tauranga Moana Museum Trust member Kelly Barclay at the preferred Cliff Rd site for a museum. Photo / Ruth Keber

Tauranga City Council made the right decision by rejecting a proposal to spend $40,000 to gauge how Tauranga residents feel about the development of a museum.

The survey was council staff's response to the Tauranga Moana Museum Trust seeking a $100,000 grant as part of a last-ditch effort to keep the project alive.

The survey was to have been the vehicle by which the council could gauge community support for the museum, including whether ratepayers were prepared to shoulder a big chunk of museum operating costs.

A survey on the subject was not needed because councillors are elected to make these decisions on our behalf based on the information put before them. Sometimes these decisions might not be popular with everyone but elected representatives are there to make tough calls in the best interests of the city.

While the council made the right call on the survey, I do not agree with the contention that there is no appetite for such a project amongst ratepayers.

Councillor Gail McIntosh says people are in favour of a museum so long as they don't have to pay for it.

While some ratepayers may balk at the thought of funding such a project, others probably believe it is an embarrassment that the city does not have somewhere to display its heritage.

The council is in a difficult position to balance other demands on rates like the pressing demand to fix stormwater flooding. Reducing the city's debt is seen as a priority for many ratepayers. Proposals that would make the city a more vibrant place to live are often met with heavy resistance because of the associated costs.

The council needs to balance this against the fact that Tauranga is now one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in New Zealand and there is a pressing need to preserve our history for future generations.

What value do we place on our heritage?