‘Sad day’: Council to pull staff out of Marlborough museum

Marlborough’s council has agreed to pull its museum staff out of the Marlborough museum and hand management back to a historical society, in what councillors have described as a “sad day."

It comes after the Marlborough Historical Society submitted to the council’s long-term plan asking for the management of the museum to be handed back to them.

The council took over management of the museum last year after a review of the Marlborough Heritage Trust, which had run the museum for close to a decade.

At long-term plan hearings earlier this month, Marlborough Historical Society president Dr Paul Davidson and treasurer Dale Webb asked for a “reset” with the council.

Along with taking back the museum’s management, the trust asked the council to buy the museum building it owned for $5m, which the trust would use to invest in heritage in the region.

At annual plan deliberations on Monday, the council agreed to pull its museum staff out of the building.

However, they agreed they would not be buying the building.

Instead, they agreed to a one-off annual grant of $40,000, about $10,000 less than a “possible operating budget” the historical society had included in its submission to the long-term plan.

That operating grant could be met through existing budgets, and therefore would not impact rates.

At deliberations, the council was told it had three museum staff, two of which were part time.

They would be set up in the council’s main office building in Blenheim.

Deputy mayor David Croad said he was saddened by the outcome.

“While I appreciate they technically own the building, that building was built through the hard work of many people – and all of the items are there because they’ve been donated.”

Blenheim ward councillor Jamie Arbuckle said he was stunned and that the outcome had put the council and heritage back.

“To find ourselves in this situation … it's not good for heritage.

“I don't see the common sense from the historical society. I think we've done everything possible.”

He said he did not support purchasing the building.

Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor agreed and said it was sad to see heritage go backwards.

Blenheim ward councillor Gerald Hope said it was a travesty but it was a “tactical withdraw”.

Meanwhile, Marlborough Sounds ward councillor Ben Minehan said not all relationships were built to last.

During the hearing about two weeks ago, Dr Davidson claimed the museum had gone backwards under council’s ownership.

He said it was “particularly troubling” the society, as the owner of the museum building, had lost its asset and not received “a dollar in rent or other compensation”.

“It isn’t fair, it isn’t just, it’s hard on the ageing members of the society, it’s disrespectful to the current executive, and it’s an insult to the legacy and memory of the many past volunteers who built what we have today.”

He said a reset would give the historical society time to negotiate a “careful and comprehensive” agreement and time for the council to add $5 million to its capital expenditure budget.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air.