Are we throwing out the baby with the bathwater?
Ponsonby Community Centre Board terminated the contract of the Thursday Life Drawing Group after 30 years because a paid nude model stopped to get dressed during a fire drill. Should they stay or should they go?
Unaware of the group’s contract stating, “during the Hire Period, the Hirer shall ensure that its employees, contractors and agents comply with all applicable statutes, bylaws and rules of conduct for the Venue”, the ‘employee’ model simply chose against public nudity. She was delayed in exiting the building by the Centre Manager arguing with her. Who is really responsible? Remember, this is a community facility so fault, blame and tolerance do factor into whether the punishment fits the ‘crime’.
Since schools are no longer being used after hours for adult learning, council facilities are vital for community wellbeing. The Friday Life Drawing Group, with a clothed model, now meets at member’s homes since the Centre hireage fee became unaffordable when it increased by 350%. The Thursday group’s 50 members were to cover it. Since termination of their contract they have found a new venue to hire – Studio One, 1 Ponsonby Road.
Studio One, formerly known as ‘Artstation’, a name derived from its historical function as the Ponsonby Police Barracks, has provided visual art programmes for the community for over 30 years. The modernisation and renaming were a result of 2013 cost cutting. Unfortunately, this resulted in a watering down of services. The arts community lost some unique classes during the restructuring, including the Cast Glass Class. This ‘lost art’ was reinvented by several artists around the world, including Ann Robinson (Sir Dove Myer Robinson’s daughter). At the time, the specific glass required was only made in three locations in the world – Italy, America and Kingsland. After the class closed, the manufacturer, Gaffer Glass, sold out to USA suppliers. Now it is ordered from NZ importer, Wanganui Art School. Losing this class and training of new practitioners was such a huge loss to the art world. Only an audit can tell if Studio One (the poor cousin) actually had any monetary savings, the apparent reason for this new configuration. Should it stay or should it go back to the ‘glory days’?
I recently asked the person on the helpdesk at Auckland Central Library where I could find the Remuera local paper. (I was quoted on the cover.) She looked at me blankly. I had to re-ask, “Where are the newspapers?” The recent decision to keep on general non-skilled staff rather than the experienced, historical and archival specialist staff, is a dumbing down of this amenity. Most redundancies are women at pre-retirement age. Since the work isn’t arduous or strenuous, they would likely have stayed on for at least another 10 years, imparting their knowledge to the next generation. With an ageing population, shouldn’t that be encouraged? Instead of passing on their legacy, they are now unlikely to find meaningful work within our ageist, sexist society, and have been asked to apply for diluted versions of their jobs at lower pay rates. Should they stay or should they go, and that knowledge along with them?
The cost savings and staff cuts required to address the budget ‘fiscal hole’ have hit hard within the Auckland Council and the Council Controlled Organisations. These particular examples are only a sample of the multitude of failures against the intention behind the SuperCity – to take the best from each of the councils and create a bigger, better version. Who made the decision to keep on unqualified general staff rather than the specialists? Are these the same people who recently decided to ignore the Governing Body resolution to inform the public about the ‘Independent Māori Statutory Board’ in public consultation on Māori seats? (Ponsonby News: August edition by Councillor Maurice Williamson and September edition by former WLB member Rob Thomas.) Should they stay or should they go?
So, the question remains: are some budget cuts inadvertently ‘throwing out the baby with the bathwater’? And are we being left with staff within the council who are controlling decision making for their own agenda? Are in fact the ‘lunatics in control of the asylum’? (GAEL BALDOCK)
#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay #CommunityBuilding #artstationponsonby #studiooneauckland. Auckland Central Library #supercityauckland #AucklandCouncil #CouncilControlledOrganisations #PonsonbyPoliceBarracks #communitywellbeing #budgetcutsauckland #ThursdayLifeDrawingGroupPonsonby #ponsonbycommunitycentre
Published: November 2023