Relief but questions remain for Musical Theatre Gisborne

The Musical Theatre Gisborne building on council-owned land in Innes Street.Picture by Liam Clayton

A musical theatre group is relieved the district council has finally offered them a renewed lease after almost five years in limbo.

“It was pretty distressing to watch (the council debate it) again,” Musical Theatre Gisborne club president Peter Grealish said of the recent meeting over their lease.

The community group had been waiting since 2019, when their council lease lapsed.

Four groups operate from buildings on council-owned land in the Innes Street industrial area: Surf City Rod and Custom Club, Gisborne Harrier Club, Musical Theatre Gisborne, and Tairāwhiti Menzshed.

During a meeting last month, the council weighed up granting a five-year lease, 10-year lease or a five-year lease with an opportunity to renew for another five.

Mr Grealish said he was “pretty happy” the council decided to offer a five-year lease to the community groups, with the option to renew for a further five years.

“It gives us 10 years to figure out where to next . . . and we will fix our roof.”

The group had held off carrying out repairs while their future remained uncertain.

“We need cheap rent to survive,” he said.

“Every time you put on a show, there’s always a risk that you’re not going to make money back. It’s a fickle business.”

A report to the council noted that the groups have a “positive effect in the community”.

However, resolutions from previous council meetings asked staff to consider the benefits of commercial use of the leases.

Mr Grealish said he initially believed the decision for a five-year lease had been made during a council meeting last November.

However, just a few days ago he discovered another meeting was taking place.

“I didn’t know why the vote got reinstalled.”

Council Liveable Communities Director Michele Frey said the February 22 meeting was “a formal statutory decision following on from discussions in November”.

Mr Grealish said he watched the meeting “after a nervous day at work”.

“(Many councillors) didn’t know the history of what’s happened over the last four years, let alone what the clubs are about.”

He said he could not blame them though.

“There’ve been so many “to’s and fro’s and questions that didn’t get answered.

“It’s no wonder the councillors don’t really know what’s happening. No one knew what was going on over these last two meetings,” he said.

Mr Grealish said he felt lucky to have voiced his concerns to Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Councillor Debbie Gregory late last year.

“If we hadn’t done that, Debbie and Rehette wouldn’t have been informed on the background of what was going on through the council.

“Without Debbie Gregory’s voice there, I think it would have gone five years. She did help get us that extra five years,” he said.

Mr Grealish still has concerns that remain unanswered, including about the future of the properties on Council land.

Musical Theatre Gisborne was built on council land to facilitate their performances. They, and their predecessor Gisbrne Theatre Arts, have been operating from the Innes street location since 1984.

“What happens once we are to be taken off the land? Who cleans up our property there? They didn’t go into the cost of  that,  but that would have to be in the lease now,” he said.

When asked about the future of council property, Michele Frey said it remained undetermined.

“The lease documents will cover future expectations around buildings on council land.”

Mr Grealish said he hoped the council would change its mind in 10 years time, and the land could be purposed for its original intent of community groups.

“Maybe they will put some more clubs down there and use the land as it was set out for in the beginning.

“What’s the city without all these clubs and sports?”