Nicola Williams (left) with former government arts minister and current Sarjeant Trust trustee Chris Finlayson in 2016.
Nicola Williams (left) with former government arts minister and current Sarjeant Trust trustee Chris Finlayson in 2016.
A proposed funding cut will compromise the Sarjeant Gallery’s reopening event and impact the ability to fundraise, the head of the Sarjeant Gallery Trust says.
Whanganui District Council is set to cut $200,000 in yearly operational funding for the Sarjeant - part of $1.5 million in savings that include disestablishing the Youth Council, discontinuing the council’s digital strategy implementation resource and reducing budgets for trees, shrubs and annuals.
During public hearings this week on the council’s draft Long Term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP), trust chairwoman Nicola Williams said she was “flabbergasted” at the news.
“The reopening is Whanganui’s opportunity to shine and the reopening event must be the best it possibly can be,” Williams said.
“We want people to come, have a really good experience, and come again.
“To cut the budget for the Sarjeant now is going to be a huge compromise.”
After 10 years of hard work and the support of many people, the trust had to do the right thing by benefactors, donors, stakeholders, iwi and central government, Williams said.
Work is ongoing on the gallery's new Pātaka o Sir Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa wing. Photo / Bevan Conley
Central government funding is at $42.4m (60.8 per cent) and contributions from the gallery trust, community grants and donations, and the Preston Estate make up $10.29m (14.8 per cent).
“If we don’t deliver [the opening event] to a highly polished and professional standard, we won’t be taking advantage of this unique opportunity,” Williams said.
“There are going to be severe repercussions, quite frankly.”
She said removing $200,000 from the budget would also impact the role of the gallery’s head of development, who was in charge of “managing the brand” and fundraising.
“If we do not have the budget to properly resource them, they will not be able to get the $25m endowment fund up and running.
“We have $2.5m [in the fund] at the moment with another $200,000 coming through the door, which isn’t bad for two years.
“We have a lot of opportunities out there to raise money.”
The general operating budget for 2024/25 in the draft LTP is $3.6m.
Council community and customer experience general manager Marianne Cavanagh said compared to the original plan for running the gallery, the draft operating budget for 2024/25 was about $400,000 higher.
“This is mainly due to cost increases outside of the control of council, such as insurance and energy costs which have recently seen significant increases,” she said.
“The budget increase would have been even higher but we are proposing to make cuts to other areas that we can control. This includes reducing the general operating budget.”
“You [council] will keep the doors open and pay the salaries - basic operating costs - but the trust will deliver all the nice-to-haves.
“It’s going to send the worst signal to our benefactors if the council is seen to be reducing our budget when we’re going from being a Vespa to a Rolls Royce.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
