The Auckland City Council has agreed to provide additional funding of $90,000 for both the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and the NBR New Zealand Opera.

The Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee agreed to the funding, in addition to the $500,000 for the APO and $75,000 for the NZO a year, as part of a rescue package to allow both organisations to continue operating until regional amenities funding becomes available.The Auckland City Council has agreed to provide additional funding of $90,000 for both the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and the NBR New Zealand Opera.

The Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee agreed to the funding, in addition to the $500,000 for the APO and $75,000 for the NZO a year, as part of a rescue package to allow both organisations to continue operating until regional amenities funding becomes available.Both organisations are provided for in the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Bill, which was passed into law on 27 August. Delays in the enactment of the Bill have created significant projected deficits in the 08/09 financial years for both the APO and NZ Opera.

"Once again, we are grateful that the Auckland City Council has acknowledged the contributions made by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and The NBR New Zealand Opera to the entire Auckland region," said Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra chair Rosanne Meo.

NBR New Zealand Opera General Director Aidan Lang said this funding "further stabilises both organisations until the Regional Amenities Funding Act comes into effect in the middle of 2009".

According to the council report, added to this is the withdrawal of two large sponsorship sources for the NZ Opera during 2008 (totalling $500,000) which has created significant projected deficits in the 2008 and 2009 financial years.

At the request of Creative New Zealand, the opera's partners and the orchestra's partners met to discuss a rescue package to allow them to continue operating until the regional amenities funding becomes available.

Creative New Zealand is proposing to contribute $125,000 to the NZO funding package and $267,200 to the APO, over and above its current financial support, and was seeking a $90,000 local contribution from Auckland City Council.

Rosanne Meo said that the support of Auckland City Council, Creative New Zealand and the ASB Community Trust, sponsors and funders meant the APO would have a smooth path to the commencement of regional funding which offered certainty and long term stability for the orchestra and other regional amenities.

More information

Council report: New Zealand Opera [PDF]

Council report: Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra [PDF]

11/09/08