NZ role for orchestra spelled out

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has to promote and encourage local music and composers under legislation passed yesterday.

Associate Arts and Culture Minister Judith Tizard said the Symphony Orchestra Bill was an important milestone in the orchestra's history.

"It recognises the orchestra's role is as important culturally for New Zealand as its financial performance," she said.

"The bill explicitly specifies its principal objectives and functions ... requiring it to promote and encourage New Zealand symphonic music and composers and performance opportunities for New Zealand musicians."

The bill changes the status of the orchestra from a limited liability company to an autonomous Crown entity, bringing it into line with similar organisations.

"It provides a legislative framework which accurately reflects for the first time the purpose and interests that we have in the orchestra's long-term future," Ms Tizard said.

"This bill secures it for future generations of New Zealanders."

National's arts and culture spokesman Paul Hutchison said his party strongly supported the orchestra but opposed the bill.

He said Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is also Minister for Arts and Culture, had often praised the orchestra's track record "yet she is now stifling its artistic freedom with prescriptive requirements and functions".

The Act party also opposed the bill, and Ms Tizard said she was concerned by their actions.

She feared it foreshadowed a move by any National-Act government to abolish the orchestra or cut its funding.

United Future, the Greens and NZ First supported the bill.

- NZPA