Tauranga City Council is looking at waiving some of the stringent conditions placed in front of Creative Tauranga's efforts to organise the Hairy Maclary sculptures on the waterfront.
Creative Tauranga chief executive Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell says the sculptures are completed and will soon be transported to Tauranga where they will go into storage until the $150,000 can be raised to meet the council's 50 year maintenance programme.
The completed Hairy Maclary sculptures bound for Tauranga's waterfront.
Council has now decided to call an extra-ordinary meeting scheduled for 9am on Friday to discuss the $150,000 bond that will go towards insurance and maintenance costs of the project.
Councillor Larry Baldock suggested a way round - saying the council required the $150,000 when the plan was for a sculpture trail. Now that the sculptures are in one location the requirement could be revisited.
Speaking today Tracey says the installation costs and finances will be discussed in more depth on Friday.
She expects to have a clearer idea of the remaining costs facing the project by the end of the week.
'I think it's great,” says Tracey today.
'They are getting how big this project is, the interest in it from around the world has been just mind blowing.”
The $800,000 project is being paid for without ratepayer input. A TECT grant of $30,000 enabled the project to start, and the government has donated $150,000 towards the sculpture project intended for the Tauranga waterfront park.
15 comments
Government Money
Posted on 24-09-2013 14:49 | By Colleen Spiro
is rate-payer money!
No, No, No !
Posted on 24-09-2013 15:04 | By Jitter
TCC do not remove the $150,000 bond. If that is removed and is needed in future years no matter what is said now ie there will be no ratepayer financial input, ratepayers will end up footing the bill as they do for everything else. Larry Baldock is talking a load of absolute rubbish
Handouts a plenty
Posted on 24-09-2013 16:15 | By YOGI BEAR
That is all it is, the costs will increase not decrease, anything Creative Tauranga has its finger in will cost ratepayers.
Here We Go Again
Posted on 24-09-2013 17:16 | By Gee9000
Wasn't the same thing said about the art gallery being a one off cost to the rate payers then no more money further needed?
Make creative Tauranga keep to the original deal
Posted on 24-09-2013 17:40 | By Phailed1
How about a report on the actual money raised and exactly where it has come from? Just how do these sculptures cost about $800,000? A better suggestion to ensure they won't eventually cost ratepayers would be to take the money from the Creative Tauranga grant of how many hundred thousand dollars? Remember the art gallery "promises" of just a one-off $1 million? Now it's about $800,000 every year. Maybe the arts community can afford this, but I think the average ratepayer can't.
Scary Maclary
Posted on 24-09-2013 17:41 | By Disappointed
As nice as it would be to have these sculptures on display I cannot help but recall a time when such public artworks were paid for by way of philanthropy. Nowadays every man and his dog seem to go cap in hand to local and/or central government expecting you and I to pay for their indulgences. The bond must stay and the art world must pay - the last thing we need is Council agreeing to incur more unnecessary debt.
Councillor Larry Baldock
Posted on 24-09-2013 18:53 | By FunandGames
Is using smoke and mirrors here, with his argument, voters beware.
The Bond and purpose
Posted on 24-09-2013 20:17 | By Murray.Guy
The purpose of the bond was to ensure NO ratepayer impact, other than the provision of public space. The $150,000 bond would be retained in perpetuity and the interest used to meet associated costs. Creative Tauranga have defied the odds and completed the Hairy Maclary sculptures. My neanderthal and unimaginative mindset supported the provision of a significant bond payable to the Council prior to installation, to mitigate the risk to ratepayers. In hindsight, absolutely nuts, petty and unreasonable. Our community has all manner of public assets that require ongoing restoration, care and, on occasion, replacement. Numerous gardens, maori sculptures and entrance ways, the art gallery - all part of providing an attractive, inviting city to live in. The annual cost to maintain Hairy Maclary in the context of the waterfront, the playground? The diversity and value added? I will support facilitating a way forward that continues to protect ratepayers!
So will you forego the bond Cr Guy?
Posted on 25-09-2013 10:34 | By Phailed1
I would have thought the bond protects ratepayers and is a clear message that increasing the number of "assets" increases the cost of ongoing maintenance which the ratepayer is a soft touch for. The story shows a government grant of $150k (NZ can't be in tough times) and $30k from Tect, so could you give us an assurance that the rest of the $800k actually has been totally raised?
My position
Posted on 25-09-2013 11:48 | By Murray.Guy
I sent to elected and staff ... I would support an amendment to the existing resolution that requires the maintenance bond of $150,000 to be lodged with TCC prior to installation. EG: Along the lines of, '......to be paid in full no later than 3 years from installation, with payments to TCC being deducted from the contract fee paid by TCC.' This better provides for the early installation of the Statues at the same time ensures the intent of the existing resolution is maintained and CT remains committed to securing the funds bond required ... END. It appears a 'goodwill gesture' that maintains the integrity of the intent (protecting the ratepayer) appears to be at risk with a 'big push' in the meeting agenda to forgo the bond AND for ratepayer to fund the installation! Give them an inch!
Overit
Posted on 25-09-2013 12:03 | By overit
These statues are likey to be vandalised like the ones at Virginia Lake-Wanganui.
So have the rest of the funds been raised, Cr Guy?
Posted on 25-09-2013 15:59 | By Phailed1
I like the idea of maintenance funds being deducted from Creative Tauranga's council handouts, unless the council keeps on increasing the amount of their grant. But what if another organisation sets up? The cargo shed group seem very proactive. But a question you might be able to find out for us is whether the rest of the large amount of money required has actually been raised and is "in the bank"? Because $800k is a lot of money and I can only see the govt and Tect grants in this Sunlive article. The public should be entitled to know if and how the rest has been raised.
Funds Raised
Posted on 26-09-2013 16:13 | By The Master
The thermoator dissappeared many months ago off this website, for a long time it was stagnant at about $250-280k, so I reckon that is about the limit of what has been collected up. The vast majority was from the Government, TECT and the likes so little "fund raising" has actually been done. I bet ya that only enough has been raised to make them and nothing else so now back to the gulliable lot at TCC to change the rules to suit and ratepayers pick up the tab unwillingly again.
Has Council got plenty of cash?
Posted on 26-09-2013 16:42 | By Councillorwatch
Don't vote until we see who votes which way on this one? Let's see who really are financially concerned.
Side stepping backtrackers
Posted on 27-09-2013 23:37 | By Crash test dummies
What is the point of the first decision. Get money then do it ... Now a lot worse, no enough money no repairs money not enough $$$ in kitty and now a hand out off the cuff ... Ratepayers punishment continues to the last second for this lot for sure.
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