Beware of ongoing Blake memorial bills says councillor

By BERNARD ORSMAN

An Auckland City councillor is querying who will pay up to $400,000 a year to run and maintain the $10 million Viaduct Harbour memorial to Sir Peter Blake.

Councillor Penny Sefuiva says Te Papa's gift of the winning America's Cup yacht, NZL32, to the National Maritime Museum could turn into a costly blunder for ratepayers.

"My understanding is clearly that Te Papa has a responsibility to front up with the operational money, otherwise where is the gift? There is no gift," she said.

Te Papa has pledged to contribute to the $70,000 to $90,000 annual running costs of the memorial and depreciation costs of about $300,000, in conjunction with the Maritime Museum.

Spokesman Paul Brewer said Te Papa had an excellent relationship with the Maritime Museum on the funding issues but it was too early to know exactly how much it would contribute.

Penny Sefuiva said she was cynical about Te Papa's ongoing commitment, which could leave ratepayers bailing out the struggling Maritime Museum. The museum, which has run at a loss of about $380,000 for the past two years, already receives an annual grant of $668,000 from the council.

She also found it deplorable that the North Shore City, where Sir Peter Blake was born, was not contributing anything towards the memorial.

Penny Sefuiva called for greater scrutiny, including the options and costs of the memorial, before councillors voted tomorrow whether to give $2 million towards the $10 million capital cost.

The budget meeting is the first opportunity for councillors to discuss the Blake memorial. The Forest Restoration Trust, the group behind another form of tribute, buying Kaikoura Island in the Hauraki Gulf, will put its case to councillors.

The Green Party yesterday called on the council - and the Government - to listen to the overwhelming majority of people who endorsed buying Kaikoura.

Auckland list Green MP Keith Locke said a modest exhibit at the Maritime Museum would educate people on Sir Peter's many achievements, but a gulf island was the most appropriate memorial for the great sailor, adventurer and conservationist.

Maritime Museum chief executive Larry Robbins said yesterday that "who will pay what" had not been sorted out with Te Papa but extra visitors attracted by the Blake exhibition - an estimated 20,000 a year - would cover most of the running costs.

He said the museum and Te Papa were exploring how to pay depreciation costs - believed to be $240,000 to $300,000 - by looking at options for ownership of the glass building over the sea that will house NZL32.