Whanganui Regional Museum on hunt for more funding for staff and operational costs

Museum director Bronwyn Labrum says more money is needed for staffing and general operational costs. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui Regional Museum is in a “perilous economic position” and has asked the Whanganui District Council for more funding.

Director Bronwyn Labrum presented an annual report to the council’s operations and performance committee this week and, while it contained many positives, a need for more money was highlighted.

“Each year we scrimp and save and defer larger projects, while staff pay is not competitive,” she said.

“We have actually had deficits for the last two years, partly, obviously, because of the impact of Covid, but we are facing rising prices and inflation and the cost of living like everyone else, but on an operational basis.”

At a museum joint council meeting earlier this week, it was agreed that only through fundraising could a $122,000 shortfall be met, Labrum said.

The current closure of the Sarjeant Gallery (Sarjeant on the Quay) meant more people were coming to the museum.

From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, there were 45,646 in-person visitors - 32,397 local, 9633 national and 3615 international.

That was 45 per cent up on the previous year, which was disrupted by Covid-19.

Labrum said the council was the primary funder for the museum - around 95 per cent - but it also received a small grant from the Ministry of Education.

“We can [find funding] for projects, and we do that, but we can’t find any funding to fulfil the staffing levels we actually need and for general operational costs.

“That’s the bit we’re caught in.”

While exact figures hadn’t been confirmed, the museum was looking for an increase in bulk funding from $1.2 million to $1.3m per year, Labrum said.

The case would be presented as part of the council’s long-term plan process.

“We did have a small increase when I started, which we were very grateful for, but effectively we are having a cut as costs rise,” Labrum said.

“The programme is reduced until we can find more funding.”

Discussions by the museum’s joint council had included seeking funding from other district councils around the region ”since we are a regional museum”.

“That’s something that needs to happen at a council-to-council level.”

Labrum said the significance of the museum and its collections belied its meagre resourcing.

There would be a period of three months when the museum wouldn’t have an onsite curator.

Deputy Mayor Helen Craig says the museum is 'a significant asset to New Zealand'. Photo / Bevan Conley

“I have made savings by leaving posts vacant, which I will do again at the beginning of next year.

“We cannot, however, offer a full museum experience with the small resources at our disposal and there are long-term operations we need to look at, such as continuing the renewal of our inadequate storage, appointing a Māori collections assistant and so on.”

The museum needed to develop its public programmes, which were small in number, increase its digital/website experiences and build a new NZ Wars long-term exhibition which had an iwi focus, Labrum said.

Increasing numbers of repatriations also incurred significant costs.

In May, a 5.5m waka maumaharatanga - Te Kōanga O Rehua - was unveiled at the museum after being repatriated from Te Papa Tongarewa.

Labrum said there would be a disparity between the experience the reopened Sarjeant Gallery could provide and that of the museum.

“Its collection is about a quarter the size of the museum’s.

“[We have] one of the most significant and internationally renowned collections but it has about half the staffing it really needs.

“I’m not asking to double the staff, I’m asking for a bigger grant to make a couple of appointments.”

Deputy Mayor Helen Craig said from her recollection the museum housed 200,000 items and the Sarjeant Gallery was at 11,000.

The museum was a significant asset to New Zealand, she said.

“For other councillors who weren’t here, we did once try through an LGNZ remit to lobby government to provide some funding to district and regional museums.

“I think that fight, that discussion, needs to continue with central government.”

It would be hard to convince other councils to contribute funding because they were also struggling, Craig said.

“At the end of the day the museum is sitting here and they have every right to say ‘our ratepayers aren’t going to contribute’.

“The discussion around funding will come later - in the long-term plan - but I know everyone around us here thinks the museum is amazing.

“We just have to lobby more nationally and see if we can make tracks on getting more funding.”

Craig said it was a big ask for a small district to pay for everything the museum needed and deserved.

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.