John MacDonald: How many museums do we need?
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Sometimes, outfits like the Lyttelton Historical Society have to be told to get a grip.
And today is one of those times.
Because, in a place the size of Christchurch, how many museums is too many?
What’s happening, is the Lyttelton Historical Society is gearing up to ask ratepayers for $8 million to help pay for a new maritime and colonial history museum.
They want $8 million from the council to help build it and $300,000 a year on top of that to run the place.
It would be in Lyttelton, which hasn’t had a museum since the earthquakes, and would house thousands of items which are being kept in storage at the Air Force Museum, in Wigram, free of charge.
In the years between the quakes and now, there have been a few attempts to get a new museum off the ground in Lyttelton. But it hasn’t happened.
And I don’t think it should happen. Unless they can pay for it without running to the council.
Because, do we really need to shell out millions of dollars for a new museum in Lyttelton, when we’ve got Canterbury Museum just 20 minutes' drive away in town?
No we don't.
Do we really need to shell out millions of dollars for a new museum in Lyttelton, when we’ve also got the Okains Bay Museum on the Peninsula?
No we don’t.
The Okains Bay Museum which, by the way, is also telling us today that it’s planning a multi-million-dollar upgrade. No word yet, though, as to whether they’re also going to be asking the council for money to do it.
But we know, for sure, that that’s what the people behind this idea of a new museum in Lyttelton are going to do. And, in my mind, the council has to say no.
The argument that the Historical Society people seem to be basing their request on, is the findings of a feasibility study.
Which found that only 53 percent of “stakeholders” they’ve spoken to about it think they would have any chance of raising the money themselves.
And that 53 percent are dreaming.
But 100 percent of these stakeholders they’ve spoken to think it would be a worthy project.
Which is what always happens. Everyone thinks it’s a great idea but no one wants to pay for it. Or has any idea how to pay for it, apart from doing the usual thing and putting the hand out to ratepayers and taxpayers. And so they’re about to run off to the council to try and get $8 million.
They’ve drafted up a proposal document which claims a museum in Lyttelton would support tourism and education and create jobs.
Remembering this is the town where the locals complain about the cruise ships and say they do nothing for Lyttelton because as soon as they arrive, the passengers get off the ship and shoot straight through the tunnel into town.
Now, though, when it suits, they’re saying a multi-million-dollar museum would stop these cruise ship passengers in their tracks. Dream on.
What’s more, the council is already shelling out millions of dollars for the Canterbury Museum development. And, instead of shelling out more for another museum in Lyttelton, it should be telling the Lyttelton Historical Society that, if their collection is so important, then put it on a truck and send it to Canterbury Museum.
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