The Star: June 17, 2021

The Star Thursday June 17 2021
14
NEWS
Indian
restaurant
boss
banned
THE FORMER owner of
Corianders restaurant chain in
Christchurch has been banned
from being an employer and his
companies ordered to pay almost
half a million dollars.
The Employment Court has
issued declarations of breach
against Jeet Holdings Ltd and
two other companies for
breaching the Minimum Wage
Act.
A banning order has been
issued against the companies’
director and shareholder, Amar
Deep Singh.
The court found he instructed
eight employees to complete
false time sheets – which lead to
underpayment over several years
– and when detection was likely,
tried to cover it up.
The companies and Singh
have been ordered to pay more
than $300,000 in penalties and
$250,000 in reparation.
Regional manager southern,
labour inspectorate Jeanie
Borsboom said the finding serves
as a strong deterrent of this
completely unacceptable conduct.
— NZ Herald
• By Sophie Harris
THE HERITAGE properties
of some of Canterbury’s most
influential women are struggling
to stay afloat as the effects of
Covid-19 take their toll on
fundraising.
The heritage properties of
Ngaio Marsh and Janet Frame,
which rely on visitor numbers
and fundraising events, are
facing tough financial challenges,
with private trust-backed
properties faring worse than
government-funded properties.
Visitor numbers have fallen
significantly since the borders
closed, with the former home of
Ngaio Marsh particularly hard
hit.
Ngaio Marsh House and Heritage
Trust chair Jessica Petersen
said the trust relied on fundraising
events to meet its operational
costs, but was unable to run
these with last year’s lockdown
and ongoing uncertainty around
alert levels, and the trust was
struggling financially as a result.
While operational costs
remained fixed, the trust’s
income had “dropped quite a lot”
and, because the trust was not a
publicly owned museum, it fell
through the cracks on a lot of
funding opportunities.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Heritage homes of Marsh, Frame
hard hit by fewer visitors
STRUGGLING: Heritage homes, including those of Janet Frame (left) and Ngaio Marsh,
are feeling the impact of fewer visitors.
“It is very hard to get a grant to
pay the insurance.”
Petersen said the trust had
relied on international tourism
in the past, with 40-50 per cent
of its pre-Covid income coming
from overseas visitors.
The trust’s use of Givealittle
had helped to relieve some of the
financial burden, but Petersen
is worried about the long-term
outlook.
“Post Covid, the world’s moving
online. How do you move
online as a house museum?” she
said.
“We have lots of creative ideas,
but innovation can be risky and
costly.”
Janet Frame Eden Street Trust
chairperson Chloe Searle said it
was facing similar challenges.
“The sector is vulnerable,”
she said. “It is possible that we
(will) lose some smaller visitor
attractions like house museums
forever if they aren’t supported
during this time.
“We are anticipating less
revenue from visitors with the
absence of international visitors,
and competition for external
grants will be even stronger than
previously.”
Government-funded historical
properties are also feeling the
impact of the pandemic.
Kate Sheppard’s former Clyde
Rd home received two awards
last week at the Canterbury
Heritage Awards – the ChristchurchNZ
supreme award and the
Heritage New Zealand award for
outstanding contribution
to heritage.
The property opened as a visitor
destination last December,
and while it has avoided the
financial uncertainty that other
heritage properties are encountering,
it is struggling to attract
tourists.
Since the beginning of June,
the property has averaged about
70 walk-in visitors a week, much
less than the 170 visitors a week it
had anticipated, and the opening
of the trans-Tasman bubble has
done little to increase numbers.
Property lead at Te Whare
Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard
House, Helen Osborne, said
it has had only two or three
Australian groups come through
the house since the bubble
opened in April.
Free afternoon tea and talk, Thursday 24 June, 2.30pm
Your next move
Downsizing or 'right-sizing' your home can
be daunting. Fortunately, there are experts
to help you get your head around it.
Our guest speaker on Thursday 24 June will be
Paul Lawrence from Senior Move Managers
talking about how they can help manage a stressfree
move and providing some tips and tricks.
Free afternoon tea & talk:
Thurs 24 June, 2.30-3.30pm
Please RSVP by 22 June to Laura on 021 905 778
or sales@stalbansretirement.co.nz
41 Caledonian Road, St Albans.
An Arvida Living Well Community