Tauranga City Council will review the Historic Village finances before making a decision on the future of the village after the current situation was challenged by Tauranga businessman Des Farrow.
Strategy and policy committee chairman David Stewart called for the report after hearing public submissions from Des, a Men's Shed trustee, on the draft historic village strategy.
The Men's Shed at Tauranga Historic Village on 17th Avenue.
Des challenged the accepted view that the village breaks even, claiming it is carrying at least $30,000 in refurbishing costs and missing rent from the now in-operative restaurant, and had made no allowance for depreciation or maintenance.
Des says the council does not know what it owns at the village as there is no inventory.
Des also called for a transparent monthly financial reporting regime that shows all of the money going in and out of the village – instead of the current quarterly reporting.
Des says monthly financial reporting will soon prove claims the village is ‘breaking even' financially are wrong.
'It's not within a bull's roar of breaking even,” says Des.
Several other submitters say the village's buildings and grounds are run down as a result of ongoing neglect by TCC.
One submitter claims their building has not been painted in six years, while another says they installed their own heat pump because the building was ‘unliveable' otherwise.
While the general consensus among other submitters is for a cash injection from the council, Des says the Men's Shed and a change of village management can collectively save the council at least $100,000.
He says the only staff required will be a village manager with computer and organisational skills, who can also mow lawns, paint buildings, saw wood and hammer nails, backed up by a competent office and accounts person.
The Men's Shed will provide volunteer labour for repairs and maintenance in lieu of rent,
Des says the council is its own customer at the village owning 60 per cent of the 17 acres and 45 per cent of the buildings, but paying no rates and minimum water charges, which are shared out among the tenants.
He says TCC charges the Men's Shed $800 a year in insurance on a building that has a demolition clause.
'You can't insure it, it's got a demolition clause,” says Des.
'If it burns down you can't replace it.”
When the toilet's issue was brought to village management's attention, Des says the reply that nothing can be done because they are on contract, is not good enough.
The Men's Shed Charitable Trust support a management style at the village that reflects those at the council owned Tauranga Airport and the Tauranga Marina Society.
At the conclusion of the submissions David Stewart called for a village inventory and a financial report to assist councillors when they make their decision on the village's future on April 24.
19 comments
Sad State
Posted on 11-04-2012 12:29 | By tabatha
If only, The for sight of Noel Nicholls and his side kick Archie Pemberton had been allowed to carry on, in stead some one who knew better gave them a kick in the..... . The village was vibrant and was starting to make money as a living museum. What is left? Great place for Jazz festival and such like, but sorry state otherwise. The old blacksmith shop was a haven, The blacksmith of the time was training others to work the shop and he too was pushed. What a said state Tauranga gets into. When I arrived yes it was a small village with orchards and farms making the place sing, what has happened, well we all know, greedy people trying to be one better.
Yet again.....
Posted on 11-04-2012 13:03 | By kiwigrunt
More council morons who are not locals letting assets go to waste
What a load of Bull part 2
Posted on 11-04-2012 13:07 | By Openknee8ted
Sell it.
return it to its former glory
Posted on 11-04-2012 13:24 | By shooterm92
I dont know why there is so much discussion about the village it should just be returned to being a museum as it used to be, its the logical choice but it never seems to be pushed as the council wants to spend more money elsewhere building a museum. Many towns would love to have something like the village as their museum so wake up Tauranga City Council
Historic Village fiasco
Posted on 11-04-2012 13:57 | By Aster
Here's a thought to consider.When the historic items were all located in the buildings at 17th Avenue,it cost about $250k per year. It now costs $750k per year to store this collection at the Mount(and the collection is now not open to the public.) How smart is that?
Feuding over Historic Village
Posted on 11-04-2012 14:20 | By algail
Interesting that ' the building hasn't been painted for six years” What sort of cheap ass paint has been used on the paint job that it isn't still OK after six years I would expect ten years out of a good paint job. How about setting up a ' friends of the village society ' and keep the village maintained or sell it Alastair Bethlehem
Posted on 11-04-2012 14:37 | By traceybjammet
the village is an amazing place to visit and I always take overseas visitors there. It is underused and treated with no respect, I cant see how with decent management and marketing it couldnt turn a profit. any buses go from the cruise ships for tours around there???? put the old collection on display somewhere etc still reckon the oldpost offce would have been the best place for a musuem it even looks like a musuem
Logic
Posted on 11-04-2012 14:37 | By rastus
It is absolutely beyond me as to why there is this constant neglect of such a wonderful city asset - I have talked with some councilors and they seem to agree yet when push comes to shove there is ultimately and seemingly no desire from council to see the village flourish - my money is on Des to sort the situation out - just ask any of the folk that spent the weekend at the jazz in the village - they just loved it and would like to see more sensible utilization of the facilities down there - the stupid thinking from the elite in Tauranga - yes those that burdened us with an art gallery that the local artists are not good enough to display their work in (what a joke you elitist mob are - you wouldn't recognise true art if you fell over it) don't want anything good developed at the village because 'they' want to build a new museum that again will be staffed by a bunch of egg heads and that facility will have no relationship to the good people of Tauranga - Come on councilors start putting some positive spin on the subject of the village - I don't think we are looking for huge amounts of ratepayer funding - I think we are looking for a fundamental change in philosophy - the village has been and can be again, an outstanding tourist and leisure area if only some genuine enthusiasm from our elected representatives could be garnered.
.
Posted on 11-04-2012 14:41 | By charob
turning it back to a museum like it was orginally intended would be great. Like shooterm92 and aster say. then money would be coming in from the public.....
A little Village positivity
Posted on 11-04-2012 14:45 | By captureitnz
Reading the above article and being at the same meeting at Council Chambers, I was disappointed that once again the village has been placed under a cloud. I feel that to report on a small unsubstantiated portion of the hearings instead of the submissions as a whole was a little negligent, but as pointed out to me by said reporter it is all just a matter of opinion and does not need to represent fact. I would like to point out that the purpose of the hearings was to listen to public submissions on the Draft Strategic Plan rather than as a soap box to air personal and or political grievances. I would like to thank those others who did submit and for the public support for the plan. It is time we view the village as a great asset which requires future goals and objectives to make the most of what it has to offer. Tennants and visitors alike love the concept and diversity of the village, the Strategic Plan reflects this and encourages a great community and visitor experience in a historic and environmentaly friendly atmosphere. So please can we have less doom, gloom and finger pointing and more positive attitudes towards one of Tauranga's greatest assets.
what an asset!
Posted on 11-04-2012 15:26 | By hanscampp
A great location, a great potential for touristic appeal, an ideal location for a farmer's market. The Jazz festival events proved that with the right promotional push, people will come and enjoy the very pleasant surroundings. I agree with shooterm92 regarding the museum location. It's there, why not use it?
wait, what?
Posted on 11-04-2012 15:33 | By umexcuseme
I was at the public submission hearings yesterday and find it horribly upsetting that this was reported on rather than the strategic plan which will help the Historic Village move forward. I have a great love for this village and would hate to see other peoples agendas ruin a stategic plan that i fully support. Can this strategic plan please be our focus rather than a he said she said battle. And speaking of which, i would assume Des Farrow's comment that the new manager of the village needed to be a male was a joke.
Damned if you do .....
Posted on 11-04-2012 16:41 | By bigted
A no win for everyone it seems. Some tough decisions will need to be made urgently by councillors in these "fiscally prudent" times. It really does boil down to bums through the gate to survive.
Mens Shed a good example
Posted on 11-04-2012 17:32 | By Gee Really
Good to see groups like the Mens Shed wanting to take more control of running and maintaining the Village rather than just asking Council to put in more ratepayers money. But to those tenants who seem to want ratepayers to install their heat pumps and paint the buildings every 6 years, just stump up with a commercial rent then maybe council can afford that. Don't expect ratepayers subsidies, we don't have the money.
ratepayers pocket
Posted on 11-04-2012 17:36 | By hapukafin
the council is hell bent on waisting rate payers money on art gallery ,museum and unprofitable projects.for a council with alot of ex busnessmen how did these people run a private business,i guess its a lot easier to spend someone elses money.i visited Hamiltons museum last week for the first time in view of what TCC might be wanting to do and was absolutely disappointed.is our council looking at wasting ratepayers money like this.we have a couple of national museum lets help to make them better with what we have to offer.
... so how did it go???
Posted on 11-04-2012 17:56 | By Justapoint
i was also at the submission hearing and am also appalled to see that there seems to be a one sided view in this report. there was a lot of really good, positive comments made, and it seems that these have been lost due to one mans disagreement. As a local paper, i expected an unbiased report, including all local thoughts on the issue, it is after all a local paper. The Historic Village is an amazing place, and deserves a chance. Is this an ad or a article, because i cant tell. The strategic plan people. FOCUS!!!
Deferred Maintenence Costings?
Posted on 11-04-2012 18:39 | By carpedeum
Hey - this sounds like the Mount Hot Pools allover again-deferred maintenance none spending( or none at all) !!!does the Council actually allow any money for annual maintenance- same as we have to with our own homes/cars/gardens/clothes/bodies etc
What meeting was your reporter at?
Posted on 11-04-2012 19:54 | By Tania Tala
Come on Sun Live - get it right - I had the pleasure of listening to a wide range of submissions on the Village on Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised by the calibre and foresight of the submitters - apart from Mr Ferrow's nasty diatribe. While most submitters offered succinct and critical comment on the draft strategic plan, Mr Ferrow sounded like he was throwing his toys out of the cot - he used that old political adage of "tell lies long and loud and most people will believe them". Time to move on Mr Ferrow - this is 'no town for old men'. Get with the 21st century or go home. Well done most of the submitters - shame on Sun Live for reporting opinion and not fact.
Attraction vs Distraction
Posted on 12-04-2012 10:35 | By Openknee8ted
The Historic Village has never been the jewel in anyone's crown. It has been a folly from the beginning. The differing needs of the many tenants causes friction. The councils Laissez-faire approach to managing the village only adds fuel to the fire. It is now time for council to get rid of this distraction.
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