Regional museums join forces to address funding concerns

The Otago, Canterbury and Auckland War Memorial museums have recently joined forces in a video conference meeting with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage over funding concerns.

Otago Museum director Ian Griffin said last month that the planned meeting reflected a bid to overcome the post-Covid-19 lockdown funding "crisis" and serious challenges facing the country’s three municipal museums.

Dr Griffin has long advocated a combined museum sector approach to address inadequate state funding for regional museums holding treasures of international significance.

Otago Museum Trust Board chairman Prof David Hutchinson confirmed that a Zoom meeting was held on Friday, including the chief executives and governance board heads of the museums, and ministry chief executive Bernadette Cavanagh.

It was significant that the museums were working closely together. The discussions were "amicable" and more would be held, he said.