New Funds, New Director And New Regionalised Structure Positions Historic Places Trust For Future

Conservation Minister Nick Smith today announced that agreement had been reached with the Historic Places Trust on additional annual funding of $1.8million and a decentralised organisation that will see a lot more resources put into regional offices.

"Protecting New Zealand's heritage requires an upbeat and lean Historic Places Trust. The extra funds are conditional on the Trust restructuring and putting more staff out where the heritage is, in the regions. A change in culture is also required. We can achieve a lot more for heritage protection through persuasion and education than by rules and regulation."

The Historic Places Trust was facing a funding crisis arising from the loss of $1.8million per year from the Lotteries Grants Board, for which only temporary replacement funding was found. Without additional funding, the Trust would have been forced to close all its regional offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The additional funding and agreement on a new management structure will see more resources put into these offices and one additional regional office. The restructuring will result in redundancies from the Historic Places Trust head office.

"While the loss of Lotteries funding has been a blow to the Historic Places Trust, it has been a boon for community heritage projects which have benefited from the millions put into specific projects. With these extra resources committed to heritage management by Government today, we will be spending more on our historic places than ever before."

The additional funding comes into effect from 1 July 1999. The Trust is required to restructure and produce a formal business plan by the end of the year. A new purchase agreement is also to be negotiated which will put increased emphasis on co-operative support programmes with property owners. The Government has also determined that the total $3.98million of annual heritage funding provided to the Historic Places Trust will become contestable in 2001.

"I am very confident about the future of the Historic Places Trust. With new Chief Executive, Elizabeth Kerr, additional Government funding and a new decentralised organisation the Trust is very well positioned for the new millennium. I acknowledge the process of change is always contentious and difficult, particularly for the individual staff affected, but I am convinced the change is both necessary and timely."

"These changes are a part of a wider picture of reform in heritage management. Government will be considering major changes in heritage legislation and the establishment of a new Ministry of Heritage and Culture. Together, these measures will give New Zealand a dynamic and responsive heritage sector."