Hutt, Porirua councils eye pulling out of 'contentious' regional arts fund

A video is projected onto the Oriental Bay fountain as part of the Performance Arcade arts festival in Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Two Wellington councils are looking at pulling out of a "contentious" arts fund, with questions arising over whether the regional fund was good "value for money".

The Herald wrote about the Wellington Regional Amenities Fund in 2018 after a report revealed Lower Hutt ratepayers had poured more than $1 million into it, while Wellington city soaked up the lion's share of the funding.

At the time, Hutt City Council had contributed $1.2 million to the fund without any local organisations receiving funding, the report said. Council contributes $200,000 each year.

More than 90 per cent of the funding went to Wellington-based organisations.

The fund's purpose is to support local arts, cultural and environmental entities that will promote the Wellington region and draw people to it.

Now, both Lower Hutt and Porirua councils are considering withdrawing from the fund, and will be consulting with residents for their respective draft annual plans.

Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry said the city was in a "pretty tough financial situation", and council was looking at all ways to reduce unnecessary spending.

At a time where residents were facing an average rates rise of 7.9 per cent, council had to "consider value for money".

Barry said the fund had been "contentious" in the past, and he believed there was a "general feeling that we need to revise how that whole entire fund works".

"There's a discussion to be had around the criteria and how the money is allocated."

"I think the key message here is we're not saying we can do it better or anything like that ... we've had to go line by line through our budget and just [consider] what is 'nice to have' spending and what is absolutely necessary when we're considering our rates rise."

Council would be taking the proposal to residents for consultation.

Porirua mayor Anita Baker said her council was also considering backing off the fund.

"With increased infrastructure costs and our desire to keep rates as low as possible, we've been looking at areas of the business where savings can be made," she said.

"Not contributing to the Regional Amenities Fund is one of the potential cost-saving measures we'll be taking out to the community as part of our Annual Plan consultation in April."

Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said he was sure councils and their residents would make the "right decision" - that being to stay as contributors to the fund.

He believed the people of Lower Hutt would "make it clear" they were "part of the region" and wanted to continue contributing to the regional fund.

It was about "working together across all fronts".

At the time the report came out in 2018, Guppy said anyone taking a "what's in it for me" approach had an attitude that was "detrimental to the region".

"My view and my city's view is that no matter where the event is, whether it's in Porirua, whether it's in Wellington city, we all have an opportunity to benefit from it."

Wellington mayor Andy Foster said in a statement his council supported the concept of regional collaboration across a range of areas, and would continue to look for opportunities to work with its neighbours.

"But we also respect the right of individual councils to make their own decisions, in line with their particular circumstances and the wishes of their communities," he said.