The article in The Whangarei Report June 25, regarding the level of the operational grant made to the Whangarei Heritage and Museum Trust (WH&MT) deserves a response.

The basis for funding entails measuring the costs of the benefits (cost/benefit ratio) to the Community each organisation brings, so as to provide a list of priorities for the division of the pool of money available.

The Matakohe Kauri Museum sets the benchmark – the trust that runs it does not receive operational grants from the Kaipara District Council, as it generates funding itself. Also, with the Events Centre at Okara Park, a similar sized organisation to WH&MT, there is an expectation that once it is established the operational costs will break even. 

Surely in the light of the above one could see the $300,000 provided by rate-payers to the WH&MT is generous. One could suggest that if they wish to increase their level of service, perhaps they might turn to enterprise to generate additional funds themselves.