Museum bailout decision stalled | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

AN uphill battle is in store for the besieged Jubilee Society seeking a cash bailout from Masterton District Council to shift its firehouse museum from its lonely spot in Chapel Street to the Dixon Street arts precinct.

A decision was to be made tomorrow night on whether the council should vote up to $28,000 to the society either in grants, bridging finance or underwriting but yesterday Masterton Mayor Bob Francis and council chief executive Wes ten Hove circulated all district councillors seeking approval to defer any decision until next month.

This was presumably to buy time for the museum's committee to arrange meetings with a breakaway faction calling itself the Friends of the Jubilee to see if a better proposal overall for the future of the museum and its prize exhibit ? the Jubilee Fire Engine ? can be worked out.

The cost of picking up the museum and moving it across town had risen from an original estimate of $49,000 to $81,000 although attempts were afoot to try to trim back the escalating costs by taking some shortcuts on the new site that could have saved some of the increase.

Since the council's policy and finance committee met last week to give the cash bailout request its first reading, a series of stories in the Times-Age has revealed that there is a fair measure of resistance to further propping up the museum by ratepayers.

Although the museum lays claim to around 800 visitors a year, some former volunteers and others connected with the museum say that a true figure is much less than that, with the museum attracting as few as three or four visitors a weekend.

It is not open during the week.

A poll of councillors in the lead-up to tomorrow's meeting shows that likewise, few of the district's 11

decision-makers are willing to dust off the chequebook, at least not without a great deal more information to convince them that a relocated museum would be any more successful than the existing one.

Councillor Rod McKenzie said if it came to a vote now he would not support granting further money to the museum.

"I say taihoa until there is a united front on how they can fire up the engine and let the people see it working. Until then not another cent should go out.

"Ratepayers have seen enough money being spent on things like this."

Judith Callaghan: "I was absent from the policy and finance committee meeting so I am a bit ambivalent about it, I have not heard all the arguments.

"I am hoping that tomorrow night I will hear more to help me make up my mind on the matter."

Owen Perry: "The museum is not getting the visitors it should and rather than just throw money at it everyone should sit down and re-assess the project.

"If it came to a vote right now I would not support giving them more money."

Jonathan Hooker: "My understanding is that there is work being done behind the scenes and we may well be much better informed tomorrow.

"I am keeping an open mind on it."

Garry Daniell: "The Jubilee Fire Engine is unquestionably something that Masterton should retain but schisms have developed within the museum fraternity and there must be some accord before the matter goes any further."

Brent Goodwin: "I'm against giving them money and would vote against the recommendation that is on tomorrow night's meeting agenda but the two factions got together last Saturday and are apparently meeting again next week to try to sort things out."

Jane Terpstra: "We need to know what the Friends of the Jubilee have to say about the whole matter.

"Their idea of leaving the firehouse where it is and building on the Dixon Street site may be a better one.

"I will adopt a wait-and-see approach just now."

Bruce Bishop: "I will sit on the fence until I have seen the fresh information that is due to be given to us prior to tomorrow's meeting, then I will make up my mind on the issue."

Chris Peterson: "We made a decision to support the shift and we should se it through.

"It's just a question of location so that the museum has a chance of being as successful as Featherston's Fell Locomotive Museum."

Councillor Derek Daniell was not available for comment.