Arts and culture group aim for stars with grand plan

Here’s what happens when city councillors start talking about ambition, and seeking it from the organisations they control.

The troops march in with a multimillion-dollar plan to make Palmerston North fantastic, centred around an arts and culture complex rich with possibilities.

Te Manawa is pitching for something more than a makeover, like the $5.5m one it completed six years ago, and something a lot more than a proposed $4m project to ensure it stays safe in an earthquake.

Its dream is for a total rebuild, or almost total rebuild, that would reshape the block from Main St to Church St, anchored by the civic administration building at one end, and the Globe Theatre at the other, within arm’s reach of the City Library.

It is an eye-watering $45m to janine.rankin@fairfaxmedia.co.nz

$58m plan that takes Mayor Grant Smith’s call for ambition to extremes, even though softened by an offer to find two-thirds of the money from someone other than ratepayers.

The city council started adopting ‘‘ambition’’ as its buzzword when mayor Grant Smith challenged its rather comfortable vision for the city.

That was ‘‘to be recognised as a vibrant, caring, innovative, sustainable and prosperous city’’.

The addition of the word ‘‘prosperous’’ was Smith’s first attempt to get the council to up its game.

The working draft now is ‘‘small-city benefits, big-city ambition’’, under-pinned by a whole lot of goals, including something like this:

‘‘We will build Palmerston North’s national and international reputation as a creative and exciting place to live, work and study. A creative city renowned for its visual and performing arts, events, food, festivals, sporting events and great cultural institutions. A city that has great places for people, and the attractions, recreation options and experiences of a big city without hassle and cost.’’

Enter Te Manawa, cultural institution extraordinaire.

Te Manawa chairman John Fowke introduced the group’s deputation to the council as a response to council’s challenge.

‘‘It’s a question of how ambitious you want us to be,’’ he said.

While the enormity of what was being proposed came as a total surprise to some of the councillors, Smith recognised he’d got what he’d asked for, and more.

‘‘I knew this would happen,’’ he confessed.

‘‘I love the ambition. And I’m in favour, so long as it’s affordable.’’

And it was interesting to see how quickly some of the councillors got their heads around the proposal, aspects of it having appeal to different people for different reasons.

Employment portfolio Adrian Broad immediately recognised the potential to attract more visitors and extract the economic benefits, and make the city a more exciting place where it would be easier for businesses to attract staff.

Audit and risk committee chairman Vaughan Dennison described it all as ‘‘taking ambition through the roof’’.

And he spotted the possibility that some of Te Manawa’s buildings could be relinquished at some time during a staged rebuild to release capital or generate income to help pay for it.

Community services portfolio holder Lorna Johnson had a different motivation for supporting more work to be done on the proposal.

She was impressed with the work Te Manawa was doing, and would be able to do more easily and on a grander scale, with bringing in more people with a range of abilities and interests to create a more connected community.

Similarly, multicultural portfolio holder Lew Findlay liked the inclusive nature of Te Manawa’s current practice, and future plans.

Green ticket councillor Brent Barrett was interested in seeing values of sustainability in design showcased in a facility for the future.

The proposal still has a long way to go, even before councillors consider seriously whether to include it in next year’s draft review of the Long Term Plan and invite ratepayers to have their say.

And that will test Smith’s observation that, ‘‘I don’t think it’s absolutely unrealistic’’.

End notes:

E-voting is back in use in the council chamber after several months of coping without it.

Councillors and staff are still grappling with the new system, that is used to record each councillor’s vote on each issue, and display the results once everyone has pushed their buttons.

There is no chance to see how anyone else has voted until all the votes are in, just like a real election, and there is a body of opinion that this is an important principle.

The results that flash up on screens show the results in numbers, then move on to a second page to display who voted yes, and who voted no.

At the moment, that fine print is a bit hard to read, but apparently, the display will improve.

It means the results of every vote are captured and recorded and forever available for the public to view.

It does make other councils which vote ‘‘on voices’’ or by a show of hands seem rather casual.