Wellington Museums Trust Annual Report 2006

CHAIRMAN’S
REPORT
With over 700,000
visitors to trust facilities
and events this year,
there is no doubt that
we have once again made
a strong contribution to
Wellington’s deserved
reputation as the
country’s cultural capital.
Our success is, as always, a direct result of the energies,
enthusiasms and talents of all those involved with the
trust and reflects the continued support from our major
funder, the Wellington City Council.
Our trustees are currently reviewing the trust’s strategic
plan; work which should be completed by September and
which will chart our strategies for the next five years.
Some key opportunities and challenges that we have
already identified are:
• Funding: continued contraction of some services and
inability to reach our potential across all facilities
• Collections: the need to re-house the Museum of
Wellington City & Sea’s collections in a storage facility
that meets national and international standards
• Conservation: relocation and long-term plan for the
conservation and display of the Inconstant
• Gallery enhancement: maximising opportunities
to develop a Maori and Pacific Island gallery and the
relocation of the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery within an
extension to City Gallery Wellington; and
• Capital E sponsorship: securing long-term funding
for the Capital E National Arts Festival and Capital E
National Theatre for Children.
Funding
Last year we reported that we would undertake a
benchmarking review in partnership with the Wellington
City Council to compare the trust’s overall performance
with other similar organisations and institutions. It was
expected that this review would assist both the council
and ourselves to establish funding and service levels for
the future. The trust completed much of the preliminary
research in early February and the council is in the
process of finalising its portion of the report. This will
be completed in time to be considered as part of the
council’s next Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP)
development. Initial feedback from the benchmarking
data demonstrates that our trust delivers quality services
and programmes in a cost-effective and efficient manner
when compared to other similar organisations and
institutions. The trust is pleased to note that allowance
has been made within the recently published LTCCP for
inflation in future years. However, that alone will not
satisfactorily resolve the operational deficits that the
trust has run to fund recent years’ activities.
Collections
Following an independent review by leading conservator
Detlef Klein, a specialist in the care and management
of museum collections, it was confirmed that the
Museum of Wellington City & Sea’s rented collection
store at Ngauranga was inadequate and could never
meet national or international standards for long-term
collection storage. This review was sent to the Wellington
City Council, which acknowledged the importance of the
museum implementing best practice for its collection
management. As a result, the trust’s chief executive has
initiated discussions with other Wellington institutions
to explore the feasibility of providing a regional solution
for collection management. This concept could provide a
unique opportunity to raise the standards of collection
care across all institutions as well as to support the
regional strategy promoted by Wellington’s local
authorities. We have identified that it will take three
years from initial discussions to the creation of a new,
purpose-built facility.
Conservation
During the year the trust provided the council with three
options for the continued conservation of the Inconstant
(Plimmer’s Ark) and for its display once conservation is
complete. The project is currently located between the
Events Centre and Shed 6 on Queens Wharf, space which
will be required by Positively Wellington Waterfront when
this area is developed further. New research confirmed
by our conservator Jack Fry has identified that the
Inconstant’s conserved remains will need to be housed
in a fully climate-controlled environment. This alone
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