Indecision blamed as museum chief quits

The director of Tauranga's controversial $21 million museum project has quit.
Mark Clayton, appointed six months ago on a five-year contract to establish the museum, resigned after his Australian father suffered a series of strokes.
He is back living with his family near Sydney after taking the option of not returning from his Christmas holidays to serve out a month's notice.
Mr Clayton's resignation before Christmas followed a period of intense uncertainty about the future of the museum, which virtually coincided with his arrival in Tauranga.
His wife and family had been awaiting the end of the school year to join him in Tauranga. Uprooting them was understood to be another factor behind giving up his $100,000-a-year job once his father's health deteriorated.
And while Mayor Stuart Crosby and museum board member Cr Mary Dillon would not comment whether his decision was made easier by the political forces marshalled against the museum, Cr Murray Guy had no doubt.
"I am not surprised given the clear indecision surrounding the project in recent months. I can well imagine that before accepting the job, he was given the impression that the museum was in the bag."
Cr Guy said Mr Clayton would not have understood the depth of community concern. He questioned how the council's December 14 decision would have been influenced if the director's intention to leave had been known.
Cr Guy opposes advertising for a new director until the museum's future had been confirmed.
Cr Dillon said that while lots of people knew how to direct a museum, only a fistful had ever built one and Mr Clayton had the talent Tauranga was looking for. Asked whether his decision to resign was made easier by the uncertainty around the museum, she replied: "It was never a discussion he ever had with me."
"I can't imagine that any director of any institution anywhere would have been particularly happy at the machinations of Tauranga City Council in the last six months."
However, Cr Dillon said museums were notoriously difficult to get built and she was sure that Mr Clayton would have known that.
Mr Crosby would not comment on how much the council's to-ing and fro-ing on the museum had helped Mr Clayton's decision. He said only Mr Clayton could answer that. Bay of Plenty Times attempts to contact Mr Clayton have been unsuccessful.
Mr Crosby said the council needed to advertise internationally for a new director. Any applicant of calibre would weigh up the political uncertainty inherent with arts-type projects with the challenge of developing a museum from scratch.
Deputy Mayor David Stewart said work needed to be done so people understood what was trying to be achieved.