Spotlight turned on councils’ cross-boundary payments

and Jubilee Park facilities in Richmond but fails to do so.’’

Ogilvie also queries TDC’s ‘‘considerable’’ 50 per cent support for the Tasman Bays Heritage Trust, which runs the Nelson Provincial Museum.

TDC paid about $835,000 for the Nelson museum in 2016-17, while the Motueka, Golden Bay and Murchison museums received less than $150,000 in total. The trust is a councilcontrolled organisation (CCO) in which Tasman district and Nelson city councils have a 50:50 share.

At the LTP deliberations meeting, Ogilvie wanted the councillors to agree to write to the trust advising it that the TDC would review the 50:50 arrangement for funding. ‘‘The indication should be that the intention is to reduce the funding.’’

However, some councillors said they felt uncomfortable about passing the draft resolution as it was, and it was lost.

Deputy mayor Tim King said such a change ‘‘has to go through a process’’. He said that in his personal view, ‘‘an indication that the council is looking to review the funding that flows across the boundary in general, in conjunction with Nelson City Council, is a good indication to give’’.

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese said: ‘‘NCC receives funds from TDC to administer the services of the Nelson Regional Sewerage Business Unit, the Regional Landfill, Civil Defence and the Nelson Regional Development Agency. Likewise, funds also go the other way.

‘‘This shows that the two councils are working well together, and creating efficiencies which are beneficial to all ratepayers in the region.’’