A trust has been set up comprising all Central Otago’s five museums, fulfilling a role the Central Otago District Council said the Alexandra District Museum Inc (ADMI) was not fulfilling.
The council’s 2021-31 long-term plan removed an annual grant of $49,000 ADMI had received since 2018, citing concerns with a lack of co-ordination between the district’s museums, which the council said was part of an agreement for which the grant was awarded.
ADMI, which runs Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery in Alexandra, claimed in July last year the agreement had not been renewed, but staff turnover meant nobody in a position of power had been serving at the time, so the difference may have been one of interpretation.
The long-term plan offered options to fill the co-ordination role, including employing someone within the council to fill the position.
Maggie Hope, co-ordinator of the Central Otago Heritage Trust to which the district’s five museums belong, said the heritage trust presented the council with an additional option, in which members of the sector co-ordinated among themselves.
That led to the drafting of the Central Otago District Museum Strategy — produced last year by the Central Otago museum sector, heritage trust and council — and ultimately to the establishment of the Central Otago Museums Trust.
The trust is made up of one representative from each of the museums — Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, Clyde Museum, Cromwell Museum, Maniototo Early Settlers Museum and Teviot District Museum — and Ms Hope representing the heritage trust.
Owen Graham was elected as independent chairman at an inaugural meeting in December. The council also has a representative on the board in a reporting role.
ADMI trustee Malcolm McPherson said he supported the collections of all five museums having equivalent status, but it should not at the cost of Central Stories’ viability.
"The CODC’s support of its museum sector is the lowest in the South Island for equivalent institutions, and probably the lowest in the country," he said.
Council strategy and governance chief adviser Saskia Righarts said funding of $50,000 per annum for a two-year period had been been allocated from district rates.
Previously ADMI had received a district grant but it would now be funded solely by a Vincent Community Board grant, she said.
Mr Graham said he envisioned the trust would not only facilitate links between the Central Otago museums, but also between them and institutions including Otago Museum, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum and Te Papa.
"We have quite a long road ahead of us in realising all the aspects of the Central Otago District Museums Strategy," he said.
