Museum board meets remotely for update

A VIDEO meeting was held on Thursday afternoon for members of the Southland Museum & Art Gallery Trust Board Incorporated to be updated on how things were tracking during lockdown.

One topic of discussion was the retabled vote on releasing strategic planner Tim Walker’s report to the public — there had been a vote last October to not do so.

Board chairwoman Toni Biddle said she was happy to move the motion with an amendment.

‘‘To the fact that we do have an opportunity to speak to the media through the chair of the board as we always have in relation to the report.’’

Trustee Roger Eagles tabled the report but said it no longer ‘‘needed to be put’’, as the report had been leaked, but Cr Biddle said she believed they still needed to vote on its release.

‘‘The public have not yet received or seen the report.’’

Trustee Evelyn Cook asked if it would create an opportunity to have a ‘‘bigger discussion with the media about their feelings about what is in the report’’.

‘‘The report itself says certain things, but we as a board have not had an opportunity to speak to the report in any open way — is this where we get to have this say?’’

Cr Biddle encouraged trustees’ views to be sent her way.

Some board members also asked to be able to view the documents which shed light on the fact the trust did not own the museum building — Invercargill City Council (ICC) did.

Trustee Gwen Neave said if it was a misconception on their part, it had been so since 1960.

‘‘It would be good to view any documents — and surely that wouldn’t mean we would owe legal fees — it’s a matter of viewing the documents that the CEO has in her office stating this new development.’’