With Cultural institutions all over Aotearoa engaged in some tense - and often fraught - discussions with their respective councils, it's been rare to see images of the two organisations smiling together.

But the announcement of Auckland Museum and Auckland Council reaching a new three-year funding agreement broke that trend - the first time that a multi-year funding model has been agreed in place of an annual levy.

After six months of negotiation, Mayor Wayne Brown and Councillors unanimously approved the proposed three-year funding agreement, with annual funding of $34.06 million (Financial Year 24/25), $34.81m (FY25/26) and $35.50m (FY26/27) "to ensure that the Museum is able to maintain its heritage building, deliver its core services and programmes, and contribute to pressing gallery redevelopment projects, in a fiscally responsible manner."

 Auckland Museum Trust Chair Professor Richard Bedford stated "We are delighted to have reached this milestone and gained greater financial security for the Museum. It’s a huge vote of confidence from Council, and we look forward to focusing our annual conversations with them more on the delivering on our strategic plan and delivering for ratepayers and visitors, rather than continuously negotiating the quantum of the levy."

Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson - a known supporter of the arts - was charged with signing off the agreement for the council.

The Big Idea approached Simpson to get more detail on what it really means for Auckland Museum and the potential impact for other Council-affiliated cultural organisations.

Breaking the (negotiation) cycle

When asked how the multi-year deal came about, Simpson explains "Auckland Museum has legislation that means it prepares an Annual Plan to justify a funding contribution - or levy - from Auckland Council each year.  Given that the Museum’s planning process typically begins in August each year, and the levy is signed off the following April, it means there is an almost constant cycle of negotiations about their funding.

"The legislation was designed to guarantee funding from the previous seven councils pre-amalgamation - when often one or more of those councils was reluctant to pay its share and therefore, when it was carried over, the legislation did not allow Council a formal accountability role for the funding it provided. Therefore, the Council and the Museum have had conversations on and off since amalgamation about improving our formal relationship. 

"However, it is probably fair to say that COVID financial pressures - plus the election of a new Mayor, a new CEO at the Museum, and a new government in Wellington that is interested in tidying Auckland’s various pieces of legislation - has provided impetus to the conversations.  

"The Mayor asked me to take the lead on Arts and Culture for the city and, in this role, address some of these difficult long-term issues. I’m very committed to deliver on that brief for multiple reasons, notwithstanding my longstanding support and participation in the arts within our city."

Looking at the bigger picture

Much of this stems back to the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act - or ARAFA - and a new approach to how these crucial cultural relationships are run.

Simpson expands "Financial security for our cultural institutions is important for our city - and this agreement provides certainty for both Auckland Council and Auckland Museum over a period of three years, rather than just one year at a time.  

"This means we can both focus our annual conversations on what the Museum will deliver for Aucklanders over the long term rather than just finish one ‘negotiation’ and then head into the next. That’s a waste of both time and resource from both sides.  

"It also means Council avoids a specific financial risk from the legislation. That is, under the existing funding formula, we could be required to pay the Museum over $200m next year. Council’s obligation is to make a contribution to meeting the needs of the Museum, taking into account the Museum’s obligation to also have other funding sources.  

"For 2024/25, the agreed amount is $34.06m.   The Museum has worked positively with Council on this and are very happy with the agreement too.  

"So now, with the Museum taking this step with Council, we hope it might also help to drive a conversation about the wider governance and funding arrangements of the cultural heritage and arts sector in Auckland."

Simpson explains that is a patchwork made up of:

1. legislation (Museum and MOTAT, and amenities under ARAFA - like Stardome and Auckland Theatre Company)
2. CCOs  (Council-controlled Organisation - Tātaki Auckland Unlimited with the Auckland Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, Zoo and various venues; Arts Regional Trust and Contemporary Art Foundation)
3. direct funding from Council (galleries such as Te Uru)
4. some contributions from government through Creative NZ 

She continues that, ideally, Council will take more of an overview of where its funding goes and what the needs of the region are.  

One reassurance I want to add, however, is we are not proposing Council interfere with the independence of organisations to make cultural decisions.  This is more about strategic goals. 

"Under the current arrangements, it is impossible to advance a meaningful strategy because everyone works to different incentives." 

Knock-on effect

So with this Auckland Museum deal in place - what impact will it have on other Council-run cultural organisations like Auckland Art Gallery?

Simpson points out that Auckland Art Gallery wouldn't fit in the same category as part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

"However, we are in conversation with MOTAT about funding and its legislation, which is very similar to the Museum’s.  

"MOTAT has a number of well-known capital challenges and, with its board and new CEO, it is looking to what it will be as an organisation going forward.

"Many of the amenities under ARAFA have started to look to new arrangements within national organisations that mean they automatically fall out of this system, so we’re beginning to fund them directly because we don’t want legislation to dictate our preferences for support.   

"I acknowledge others are still comfortable within that system, but from Council’s point of view, it provides an inflexible system when problems arise.  For a start, capital cannot be funded under it.  Given the lack of genuine accountability to Council under the ARAFA system, Council is reluctant to bring more amenities into it.

"All in all – we need a new way, and that’s what we’re looking to explore.  My intention is to do that in a way that looks after our organisations and their talented and expert staff."

Fighting for the arts in council 

Simpson's arts advocacy is not lost on many within Tāmaki Makaurau's creative community. Given the Wayne Brown era started with much angst and concerns, the Deputy Mayor has played a key role in the de-escalation of the friction. 

But she points out that the community played a big role in that too.

"The feedback on the Mayor's first budget showed Aucklanders strongly supported the arts.  We are now looking for a more coherent system across organisations, that reflects the reality of Auckland in the 2020s, and sees us all working more collectively together to deliver for all Aucklanders and for those who visit our great city.    

"We (Council) unashamedly expect accountability, but in exchange, we are keen to provide longer-term security rather than year-to-year funding, so that arts and culture professionals can spend less time on funding processes, and more time delivering for their audiences. 

"If we can achieve simpler structures, we’ll be in a much better position to start talking about an overall strategy, and whether the overall level of funding provided is adequate.  In the meantime – I’m keen to do all I can to work with our cultural sector to deliver better outcomes for them and for Auckland." 

Simpson views creative endeavours as a crucial part of Tāmaki's ecosystem.

I’m a huge fan of what the arts and culture sector brings to the table. It’s not just about preserving and passing on our values and ideas through music, language, objects or art; it’s also about reinterpreting them in new and exciting ways. 

"The arts challenge us with fresh perspectives, sparking debates and critical thinking—all crucial parts of what makes arts and culture so valuable.

"And let’s not forget the more tangible benefits, like providing entertainment, boosting the economy, and giving Auckland a unique and vibrant identity on the world stage.

"I love our city and I love the diverse and varied contributions the arts and culture sector makes. I spend many of my evenings - whether on Deputy Mayor duties or just in personal time - attending our many theatres, ballet performances, art gallery openings and music events.  It's just what I do. 

"Therefore it should be no surprise to anyone that I'm absolutely committed to ensuring that Council’s contribution to the sector supports all that they provide both now - and long into the future."