Trust committee accepts fate

South Canterbury's Historic Places Trust committee says it is resigned to the likelihood it will be disbanded.

Committee members met representatives of the Arts and Culture Ministry last week to discuss a recent Government review that recommended disestablishing local branch committees from the trust's national body.

The changes have not yet been put into legislation, but South Canterbury president Jim Wallace said the local branch was already looking for alternative solutions.

"I suppose we are resigned to the fact our branch may no longer exist soon. We will have the opportunity to submit at the select committee hearings, but I'm not sure how much influence we would have on the outcome," he said. "The ministry representatives said there had been some tensions throughout the country between the local branch committees and its professional staff, but it hasn't been the case in South Canterbury. We have worked very closely with the professional staff to assure protection of many important heritage sites."

The trust is 90 per cent government funded and 10 per cent subscriber funded, but its national board has six government appointees and three elected members. However, the Government's proposals, stemming from the review, would cut the national board to eight members, all ministerial appointees.

Mr Wallace said though some local committee members were upset with the proposals, they understood the reasoning. "The Historic Places Trust is a crown entity, but it is a bit of an unusual one in that it has a subscriber-based advocacy wing. The recommendation has probably come to bring it in line with the other crown entities, but this means we may have to go through a messy divorce."

Mr Wallace said several branch committees had suggested joining to form a replacement national organisation, similar to Great Britain's National Trust – a heritage advocacy group that is separate to the government body.

"We will be going back to our local committee members and asking them for submissions. It is possible we may raise the issue of getting some government capital funding to get the replacement organisation back on its feet."

He said the trust's 23,000 subscription members would not be affected by the changes, except to the extent that they will no longer vote for representatives on three board seats. The other aspects of their membership would remain.

The bill amending the Historic Places Act is expected to be introduced later this year.

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