Bill Dalton

This week marks the opening of the fund raising campaign for our new Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery.  This is a truly regional project and deserves support from everyone.

Of course any project of this size – it will cost between 15 and 18 million dollars – has its critics.  I am regularly being told the following:-

It doesn’t need to be done.

It will cost too much – we can’t afford it.

Now is the wrong time – we are in recession.

The Art Gallery and Museum will never make a profit.

We shouldn’t lose the old Borough Chambers.

Well let me deal with that one first.  The old Borough Chambers are an eyesore.  The original wooden building was so rotten decades ago that they plastered the outside.  It is only the plaster that is holding it up.  The inside has been stripped out – the building bears no resemblance to the original and needs to be demolished.

The rebuilding and refurbishment of the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery does need to be undertaken – the current buildings are ugly and inadequate.  We have a world class collection – in particular of Maori artefacts, and it deserves to be housed and displayed adequately.

To those who say we can’t afford it I say this:

The project will be financed from three sources.

One third of the funding will come from the Napier City Council and these funds have been provisioned for years.  One third will come from Government and one third from corporate trusts, Lotto, etc. and of course your generous donations.

The bulk of the funding will come from outside the district and be a shot in the arm for the local economy. 

And now is the right time to undertake the project.  We will get keen pricing and we will certainly benefit from the jobs created.

Some argue that the Museum will never make a profit and of course they are right.  To them I simply say that you and I have a responsibility to preserve and protect our heritage, our culture and our art for future generations.  And that costs money.

So it’s a great project – will add enormously to the art and culture scene in Hawke’s Bay and I am happy to accept any donations you may wish to make to the project.

Related posts:

1. Taking some stick
2. The Napier City Council way
3. Rodney’s rubbish