Hon Judith Tizard
Minister of State
Associate Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage
Associate Minister for Transport
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister with Auckland Issues
MP for Auckland Central

16 February 2000

MOTAT Bill passes next stage

Auckland Central MP, Judith Tizard said today that she was delighted that Parliament had agreed to progress the MOTAT (Museum of Transport & Technology) Bill. The MOTAT Bill will allow the Museum of Transport and Technology to be regionally funded through a ratepayer levy across the whole of the Auckland region. The model proposed follows that of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Act.

“While Auckland City Council would pay slightly more than it presently does, it would mean that other Auckland local authorities would have to pay something towards the maintenance, conservation and development of this important regional and national museum” Judith Tizard said.

Parliament has passed the report back from the select committee by a margin 72 to 48 votes. It was overwhelmingly supported by Labour, Alliance, the Greens, New Zealand First and by Peter Dunne from United.

While this is a new development and Parliament is very rarely willing to impose levies on local government; members stated their support for MOTAT, their belief that it was important both locally and nationally and that we have to accept that important heritage institutions must be funded across regions, not just supported by the local body in which they happen to be.

“I hope that this will progress as soon as possible as MOTAT needs the support and it is time that we all faced up to our obligations” Judith Tizard said. “I will be discussing progress of the Bill with the Board of MOTAT who have promoted this Private Bill to make sure that all possible avenues to get an agreement across Auckland have been truly exhausted, before I ask Parliament to pass this Bill”.

ENDS

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