Where are the grants?
Who are the philistines at the Christchurch City Council when it comes to funding the Arts Centre? (Arts Centre crisis as council pulls cash, March 16.) It would appear that none of them have even visited the centre recently. I was there not so long ago and the place was teeming with tourists. The Bunsen Cafe could hardly cope with their demands for refreshments. But how sad to see the steel bracing alongside the buildings. What on earth do tourists think about us, 13 years post-earthquake?
I don’t see any grants to the Arts Centre from the $15.2 million donated to various charities by the Christchurch Foundation since its inception as listed in its 2023 accounts. Even Tūranga, the central library, benefited with grants from them of $1.8 million. Why then is the foundation not supporting the iconic Arts Centre?
Dr Michael Gousmett, Rangiora
Discipline needed
Once again the ratepayers of Christchurch are being pressed to fund a city organisation that seems unable to operate within its means.
The Arts Centre property portfolio is valued at $488 million according to its December 2022 accounts as filed at the Charities Commission. Its rental income of $1.8 million represents a return of under 0.4% which is pitifully low given it claims no vacancies. This needs to be independently examined by property management professionals to ensure rentals are appropriate.
The council staff suggestion that it properly manages the portfolio is sensible. The article mentions a previous proposal to restore the Dux de Lux building was declined. I recall an earlier proposal was made shortly after the earthquake by the previous operator to rebuild the bar without cost to the Arts Centre but was declined as it was not considered an appropriate use for the centre’s planned future.
Mr Aldridge’s alarmist claim of pending insolvency is nonsense. Perhaps review the need for 24 staff including six senior managers (what do they all do?) and mothball any further restorations while the centre plans a future. It has $10.5 million in funds and no debt on almost $500 million in total assets.
It is not realistic for the financially exhausted ratepayers to fund an asset-rich organisation that seems unable to manage its own affairs.
A P Lawrence, Strowan
Paying the price
If monies had been spent getting Dux de Lux up and running again there would be no Arts Centre crisis. It was always the main drawcard and would be again. Problem solved.
Alison Balsom, Rangiora
Distorting the economy
It is the lure of easy capital gain, not the desire to provide a rental housing service, that has pulled many new investors into the property market. This has distorted our economy, hampering efforts to improve productivity, and driven up house prices beyond the reach of a growing proportion of New Zealanders.
The most effective way to reduce this distortion is a capital gains tax. Labour lacked the courage to do this, but did tweak two other levers – landlords’ ability to claim interest deduction (not simply for “ideological reasons” as J C Glass claims, Letters, March 16), and extending the brightline test to 10 years.
These measures, along with other factors such as rising interest rates, brought about the first real slow down in house price rises for several decades. The current government is returning landlords’ ability to claim interest as a “business expense” (at a $2.9 billion cost to taxpayers), and cutting the brightline test back to two years, ensuring “investors” will again be pushing first home buyers out of the market, landlords can more quickly acquire their capital gains, and productive sectors continue to be deprived of investment.
Lin Roberts, Cashmere
Pier fishing
It was such a beautiful day on Saturday and we chose to take our grand daughters for a walk along the New Brighton pier.
Great to see so many people enjoying the day including many fishing. Not so good to see bait being cut on the handrail, a knife stuck in the handrail and numerous rods located in the no fishing area. Security present was totally ineffective, hopefully not being paid by city council rates.
Oh well, at least Sunday will be an improvement with fishing not allowed most of the day, yeah right.
Julian Mace, Redcliffs
Give Kate space
Has anyone else out there not recognised in the behaviour of the young Royal family moves designed to protect their children from worries about their mum’s health? Kate Middleton has been a commited hard working agent of goodwill and cheerfulness for the British brand with none of the long term indoctrination her husband has had to deal with.
Please leave her space now to be a concerned mother.
Linda Pocock, Oxford