As part of the Auckland Museum's Draft Annual Plan 2024/25, the museum is consulting on two options for how it gets public funding from Auckland Council. 

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told ZB Plus this afternoon: "The current situation is taxation without representation, and it is completely wrong in principle. I have made it clear to the Government that Aucklanders should have a say over ratepayer funding for regional organisations, like the museum. 

"If ratepayers are required to pay for something, they should have a say over how much and what they get for their money. 

"Recently, the museum seems to be making that case for itself," he says. 

The Mayor’s Manifesto for Auckland, released before the election, asks for Auckland Council and central government to formally agree on a strategic approach and priorities for funding these services through an Auckland Regional Social and Economic Development Plan, as well as new legislation to reform the council’s relationship with key regional organisations, including the Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat) and regional amenities. 

Under the Auckland War Memorial Museum Act 1996, the museum is empowered to levy the council to fund its activities.  The council can accept or reject the levy. 

The Draft Annual Plan recently released by the museum proposes:  

A levy on Auckland Council of $34.06m in 2024/25 and indicative levies of $34.81m in the financial year 2025/26 and $35.50m in 2026/27; or 

A three-year funding agreement between the museum and the council that delivers the same or greater funds across 2024/25 to 2026/27. 

The museum has always used the levy mechanism but is now of the view that it is time-consuming as it must be negotiated with the council each year and therefore gives no certainty of future annual funding. 

The multi-year funding agreement would replace the levy for three years.  

The museum believes it would give the museum and council greater certainty about funding and potentially give the museum greater financial security.  

However, the museum also notes that if its assumptions about its works programme or inflation are incorrect, it could present a financial risk in later years.  To manage these risks, the museum believes that any funding agreement would need to provide for unforeseen material changes in either party's financial circumstances and that there would also need to be a “fall back” position to the levy. 

The new funding proposal follows a meeting between the museum chief executive David Reeves and Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick at the Green MP's electorate office on November 16. 

Reeves’ report to the Auckland Museum Trust Board on December 1 says the meeting was called after Swarbrick made critical remarks about the museum and its decision to put on a light display in support of Israel last year.  

“We met privately on 16 November and exchanged frank information about the decision to light the museum on 15 October. The meeting also included very constructive discussions on the Museum-Auckland Council relationship, central government funding and key community relationships.” 

A spokesperson for the museum told ZB Plus that Reeves told Swarbrick that the museum's position is that Aucklanders are better served with the museum remaining outside of the council group. 

The spokesperson also confirmed that Reeves and Swarbrick discussed the forthcoming annual plan for the museum and how its funding would fit in with the council's long-term budget. 

Reeves also discussed the possibility of an annual public funding contribution from central government.  

A spokesperson told ZB Plus: "The museum provides services, activities and infrastructure that deliver national benefits. On a first principles basis, we believe that these should be recognised by some form of central government funding mechanism; the entirety of public funding should not be borne by Auckland taxpayers.  We believe there is a need for funding reform to address this.  This was raised with Ms Swarbrick." 

A Green Party spokesperson told ZB Plus that Swarbrick has no control whatsoever over funding: "Chloe discussed with the museum the general lack of funding they get." 

The Auckland Museum expects about 63 per cent of the museum's revenue will come from the council in the 2024/25 financial year.