Ill-feeling over an unpaid bill is continuing to affect relationships between the Otago Museum and the national museum, Te Papa.
Otago Museum officials said early last year they might call in debt collectors because Te Papa was belatedly disputing part of a bill, involving $1987 plus GST, which had been invoiced more than 18 months earlier.
In a subsequent letter to Te Papa chief executive Dr Seddon Bennington, which was tabled at an Otago Museum Trust Board meeting late last year, Otago Museum chief executive Shimrath Paul said because the outstanding bill was for less than $2000, no further action would be taken over Te Papa's "regrettable" decision not to pay.
The amount at issue was the unpaid balance of an invoice for $4625.44, received by Te Papa in June 2006, to meet staff, transport and other costs linked to the loan of Maori artefacts for a Te Papa exhibition.
Te Papa has since sought permission for the earlier loan of Ngai Tahu artefacts to be extended and for these to be included in a proposed tour of the exhibition, titled Mo Tatou.
In a December 21 letter to an exhibition organiser at Te Papa, Michelle Hippolite, tabled at yesterday's Otago board meeting, Mr Paul said "the situation remains unchanged" and the request was denied.
"Te Papa's outstanding debt to the Otago Museum for the processing of the Mo Tatou loan has never been settled.
"As such, Michelle, you will regrettably have to proceed with the object list that excluded loan material from the Otago Museum," the letter said.
In a letter to Otago board chairwoman Margaret Collins last month, Dr Bennington said he had received the Otago Museum's recent annual report.
He congratulated Mrs Collins on a "very successful past year".
He noted comments by her in her foreword, that she had little progress to report on the issues encountered in her dealings with Te Papa, "despite your most sincere and best efforts".
Te Papa also wanted to make "the most sincere and best efforts" to develop a constructive relationship with the Otago Museum.
He suggested Mrs Collins set out out the "key matters you wish to progress in your dealings" with a view to discussing how progress could be achieved.
In a January 28 reply to Dr Bennington, Mrs Collins said she remained open to discussing how progress could be made.
However, the exhibition loan issue "showed significant bad faith, while consuming unnecessary time and resources".
Although the matter was now closed, it had not been "satisfactorily resolved", she said.
