Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill — First Reading 
Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill — First Reading 
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Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill 
First Reading 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I move  
That the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill be now read a first time. 
 Nelson is very proud of its arts heritage. The fact that our Bishop Suter Art Gallery is the oldest gallery in New Zealand is part of Nelson’s identity. The Suter has played an important role in our community for over 108 years. The problem this bill seeks to address is the archaic structure under which our art gallery is managed. The old 1896 Act has constrained the Suter Gallery and if this important Nelson institution is to survive another 100 years we need to update the law under which it is run. 
This bill does four things. Firstly it transfers to a new trust the Bishop Suter Trust all the property the rights and the obligations of the Suter including its land and buildings in Bridge Street Nelson and its invaluable art collections. The new trust is a standard trust under the 1957 Charitable Trusts Act and it is to be a council-controlled organisation under the Local Government Act. This change means that the Suter will have a standard trust structure with greater legal accountabilities and a direct link with the people of Nelson through our democratically elected council. The second legal effect of the bill is to dissolve the old trust board and remove it from the register of charitable boards. The third legal effect is to make it plain that there is no legal obligation arising from donations given for the recent redevelopment proposal for the Suter so that the new board is free to proceed with or postpone that major development proposal. The fourth and final part of the bill repeals the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Trustees Act 1896. 
This is not a controversial bill. It has the unanimous support of Nelson City Council of the neighbouring Tasman District Council of the existing Suter board and of the new board and it has the strong support of the wider Nelson arts community. I also sincerely appreciate the indications of support from the Government and other parties in this Parliament. 
I wish to give notice that in seeking the referral of this bill to the Local Government and Environment Committee I shall also be seeking the support of the House for a report-back date of 30 June so that it might be possible to have the bill reported back and completed during the term of this Parliament. That is very important to the Suter in that it is somewhat frozen in time. Until this bill is progressed it cannot move to the new structure or to the new trustees and some of the exciting development plans for the Suter cannot be advanced. Given the wide support for the bill and the fact that it is relatively straightforward I hope other parties may support that. 
In promoting this bill I acknowledge a number of key players who have helped to get it to this point. Sari Hodgson the existing trust chair is a dynamo of energy who has served Nelson in very many ways. She and her fellow trust board members have put months and years of work into developing this bill. They have never shied away from the greater accountability that this bill will place on the governance board and in that they have done the Suter a great service. I also acknowledge Sir Geoffrey Palmer who has generously given his time both in the development of the ideas behind the bill and as a former trust board member of the Suter. I particularly acknowledge David Farnsworth of Pitt and Moore lawyers in Nelson who has given hugely of his time to draft this bill on a pro bono basis. The community is also indebted to Viesturs Altments chief executive of Nelson City Council who has saved ratepayers a mint by doing a lot of the legal legwork himself. 
I will keep my comments brief in the hope that we may have the bill introduced this evening so I conclude by paying tribute to Amelia Suter who founded this art gallery in memory of her husband Andrew Suter the Bishop of Nelson from 1866-91. Her vision of a public art gallery all that time ago has served Nelson very well. We celebrate the fact that this was New Zealand’s very first public art gallery. This bill is all about ensuring that the Suter Art Gallery continues to thrive and to live up to her vision. 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Minister for ACC) 
: 
 I will take a short call in support of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill. I sought the support of my Labour colleagues for this bill at the earliest opportunity because I believe that the Suter wants Nelsonians to become more involved in the way the gallery is run. I believe that Nelsonians want that as well. As a result the Labour Party is supporting this bill and is pleased to do so. We recognise the role of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery as the regional art museum for both the Nelson and Tasman regions. 
The interesting thing about this bill is that it is being promoted by a National Party MP. When we look at the explanatory note we see that it argues that vesting the assets and liabilities of the gallery in a council-controlled body will protect the collection of the art gallery. That sounds very sensible. However I think the House should dwell on that for a moment. Dr Smith is asking the House to support legislation that is premised on the idea that important regional assets are best held in public ownership. The Labour Party supports this legislation entirely but is somewhat surprised that the National Party does. It leaves us with some confusion about whether the National Party can make up its mind on where it stands on public ownership of important assets. 
The Suter is the third-oldest public art gallery in New Zealand and is a regional treasure. It was the first building in New Zealand to be constructed for the purpose of displaying art solely. It has been an intrinsic part of the cultural fabric of Nelson and of that aspect of Nelson’s environment and demeanour for which Nelson is so famous. The Suter is also known for its ceramic collections and has played a big part in locating Nelson’s reputation as an art centre which together with Nelson’s natural attractions has turned it into a mini tourist Mecca. It also houses John Gully and Sir Toss Woollaston collections which include unique portrayals of the Nelson region and landscapes. 
I too want to add my congratulations and thanks to those of Dr Smith to the Suter board for its constant care and promotion of the Suter Gallery. I was not long in town before I was approached by the Suter and asked to support this legislation and I was very very happy to do so. I congratulate all board members the people who have sustained and worked for the Suter Gallery over a long period of time and congratulate the board’s most recent and current director Julie Catchpole in addition to those people whom Dr Smith named for her care and cultivation of the Suter as it currently is. I have attended a number of openings and exhibitions in the Suter in the last 6 or 8 months. It truly is a regional treasure. 
I pay tribute to the Nelson City Council for its support. The gallery is a very important repository of significant New Zealand art collections as well as a magnet for the arts in Nelson and in the top of the South Island generally. I look forward to the gallery going into a council-controlled body that will be held in public ownership. I delight in that and am very pleased to support it. The Labour Party will support the bill without any fear of philosophical contradiction. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First supports the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill. Galleries and other historic places like public libraries and suchlike really epitomise the New Zealand way of life especially in the more rural areas where they have often been retained by the early settlers who developed them. They are very much part of the community. New Zealand First wishes to ensure that full recognition is given to their historical value and to the contribution they have made to society over the years. The Suter Gallery is very much up in the high rankings of such institutions. 
I wish to quote from notes prepared by Mahara Okeroa at the time of the 108th anniversary of the celebration of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery’s new category 2 status on the Historic Places Trust register and which are available on the www.beehive.govt.nz website—I note that the previous speaker also quoted from a similar source—“A visionary concept of Bishop Suter was to establish a public art gallery which recognises the value of art as a whole rather than being a pastime for the elite.” That is a really wonderful example of the egalitarianism of New Zealand society. In inspiring the creation of the gallery Bishop Suter and Amelia Suter have made a permanent imprint on the culture and quality of life of the Nelson region and in the overall sphere of things in the New Zealand way of life in my view. 
Nelson is a city that has long been recognised as a centre for arts crafts and cultural pursuits. In fact when I was in Nelson a couple of decades ago it was one of the few towns where I went to an art gallery and purchased a painting. I think it was of Maori Bay. Is there a bay in the Nelson area called Maori Bay? It seems to be a fairly popular name because there is one of that name in Muriwai as well. We still have the painting hanging up where we come into our house. 
Bishop Andrew Burn Suter founded the Bishopdale Sketching Club now known as the Nelson Suter Art Society which was instrumental in developing the Suter collection and which has remained extremely active financially and artistically in the life of the Suter. A member of the society can also be credited with the notable achievement of introducing Toss Woollaston to watercolour—a very memorable occasion. 
The Bishop Suter memorial gallery is important as a piece of architecture I understand; I appreciate that the member introducing the bill may not have had sufficient time to make that comment or if he did I must have missed it. The gallery is a memorial to a significant figure in Nelson’s history and I believe it is a significant piece of New Zealand’s historical and cultural heritage. Apparently there is a saying that goes with the Suter. The Suter’s byline “Remember Experience Dream” encapsulates the ways in which an art centre like the Suter enriches the lives of those who participate in its activities. New Zealand First has great pleasure in supporting this bill. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker. Tena tatou. On a day on which it appears the full fury of the House has been galvanised in a toxic war against graffiti and gangs it is extremely refreshing to come to the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill and to be revitalised by the unique perspectives that artists can bring to the concept of cultural identity. 
At one level this bill which sets in place a more publicly accountable governance structure for the new Bishop Suter Trust makes good plain sense. The bill has arisen because the Suter Gallery—Te Aratoi o Whakatu—now depends on local authority funding and support in that it has become a council-controlled organisation. It is entirely consistent with public sector management that if the gallery is to receive backing from the Nelson City Council then it must be able to show that it has the capability to conduct its affairs properly. But there is much more to the Suter Gallery than immediately meets the eye. This is a gallery that although it has recently celebrated 109 years since it opened its doors in the 1890s it is still stirring up debate through the nature of the exhibitions that it unleashes on the Nelson public. It has established a reputation for challenging Nelsonians and for provoking them into taking a look at themselves their histories their mythologies and their culture and it has done it so successfully that Nelson Mayor Paul Matheson described the Suter Gallery as: “a fundamental part of our make up our identity”. 
In this context then the decision that the gallery made last year to single out Pakeha culture as the exclusive focus of an exhibition was both unique and genuinely challenging.  
Pakeha Now 
! was the first exhibition of contemporary Pakeha art and was curated by Anna-Marie White of Te Atiawa. Anna negotiated her way through the icon motifs of Kiwiana—the jandals pavlovas and buzzy bees—to present an understanding of what it means to be Pakeha. The decision to stimulate awareness and an expression of Pakeha identity represents a renewed sense of confidence in the use of the term “Pakeha” to convey a sense of pride in the types of values rituals attitudes and practices that come with a culture as well as marking a connection to Aotearoa a sense of self that is not from “over there” but that is of being here. 
There are other distinctive features of the Suter Gallery that stand out. The Suter Gallery—Te Aratoi o Whakatu—has taken seriously the issue of authenticity when considering its role in developing bicultural tourism. Central to this is its commitment to encourage nurture and promote artistic creativity in a bicultural arts environment. One of the outcomes of the memorandum of understanding signed by local iwi and the Suter Gallery in 2002 was the establishment of Ko te Pou Aranga a consultation committee comprising representatives of the eight mana whenua in the Nelson region. The formal agreement pledges specific Maori representation on the board and a range of protocols and commitments to sustain the mauri of Maori arts and cultural icons within the gallery. It details such strategies as providing bilingual guides encouraging Maori participation separating out the eating space facilities for powhiri to occur bilingual signage and a commitment to ensure that all staff receive appropriate training to demonstrate cultural sensitivity understanding and respect for Maori and taonga. Out of that original agreement has also come some real and meaningful iwi development in the gallery’s educational programmes the architecture and design of the gallery itself and the position of a Maori curator. 
In preparing for this bill I also came across the  
Maori History of the Suter Site and Environs 
 by Hilary and John Mitchell which sets out a fascinating history including the relationships of mana whenua occupation of Ngati Koata Ngati Rarua Ngati Tama Te Atiawa Ngati Kuia and Ngati Apa. It describes the wealth of mahinga kai situated adjacent to the Suter Gallery where shellfish eels birds eggs aruhe harakeke tutu berries and other kai were gathered. It also details the land-grabs of the most fertile lands in the Motueka by the settlers and the church for the Whakarewa School Trust. It paints a picture of a past that will undoubtedly inform our future. 
This House has also feasted on the rich wealth of information and perspectives that the Suter Gallery offers the nation. We celebrate its past and we look forward to an ongoing future of challenge and creative courage. We are pleased to support this bill. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to see the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill come before the House and I join my colleague the Hon Maryan Street in supporting this bill. 
I think that an interesting debate has been conducted through Nelson and the wider area about the future of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery and I am of course interested to look at the provisions of this bill. I particularly note that we are told that this legislation is required to relieve the future managers and kaitiaki of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery and its collection from the obligations that may have arisen under the assumptions made around money that was contributed some time ago for the renovation of the gallery and its evolution into a more modern gallery. The House has to take that issue fairly seriously. We should not allow trustees to escape lightly from obligations they have entered into. I assume the member sponsoring the bill Nick Smith will be able to convince the select committee that the new arrangement is not in any way avoiding obligations under which that money was given. 
In general to a large extent this legislation comes forward because of the extraordinarily popular Regional Museums Fund that this Government has developed over the last 8 years. I am very proud to be one of the people who argued strongly for this fund. We had seen the extraordinary change that Te Papa had made not only to the way in which New Zealand perceived our national museum and art gallery but also to the economic and social culture of Wellington. I think many people would agree with me that if more than 10 years ago we had said to friends within New Zealand or indeed to visitors from overseas “You must go to Wellington. It is the home of extraordinary facilities like Te Papa the national museum.” they would have asked what on earth we were talking about. Te Papa has changed not only the way in which Wellington sees itself but also the way in which the rest of New Zealand and much of the world sees it. 
We have seen other major museum developments like the Eastern Southland Gallery in Gore and the wonderful new museum in Masterton which have been supported by the Labour Government’s Regional Museums Fund. The major museums that have been transformed are the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. More recently we have announced a contribution of $30 million to the Auckland City Art Gallery which without question has the pre-eminent visual arts collection of New Zealand. 
I am delighted to see that councils are recognising this responsibility not only to look after the physical and functional infrastructure but also to acknowledge the responsibility given to them in the Local Government Act 2002 to consider the social environmental cultural and economic well-being of their communities now and into the future. 
I congratulate the Nelson City Council on promoting this local bill. I congratulate the member of Parliament for Nelson on sponsoring the bill. As my colleague has indicated this is an interesting and refreshing departure for a National member so I genuinely congratulate him. The Suter is an important gallery for New Zealand. It has as the leader of the Maori Party said been an important source of interesting ideas both about Nelson and about the wider region and New Zealand. 
I think Nelson is a fascinating town. The early settlers there along with Maori saw the importance of music and they set up their wonderful Nelson School of Music which has been the source of important musical training in the church as well as in secular music. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery has been acknowledged as one of the earliest art galleries and it has made an enormous difference to the way in which Nelson conducts itself. I think the Nelson Arts Festival and the wearable arts festival that have come out of Nelson are an indication of what a community can do to describe its own culture to its citizens and to the rest of the country to the benefit of everyone. 
I look forward to this legislation coming through and of course we undertake to examine it with great care in relation to the roles of the trustees now and going forward. 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 I too rise to support the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill sponsored by Dr Nick Smith. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery is a highly respected and much-loved gallery with a fascinating history and after this restructuring bill a bright future. It is one of New Zealand’s oldest public art galleries and it is the only public art gallery in New Zealand that is not currently publicly owned. This bill will shift the gallery into the 21st century and give it a major legal and administrative makeover. The sign outside the gallery’s main entrance invites visitors to “Remember Experience Dream”. Indeed the whole history of the gallery is the fulfilment of a dream. 
The story began in 1890 with the death of Nelson Anglican Bishop Andrew Burn Suter a Victorian clergyman who knew and loved art. His widow Amelia established the gallery to house the Suter collection and as a memorial in permanent form using funds originally intended to buy the late bishop a farewell presentation. The site was located in Queen’s Gardens and in 1899 the original building which is still used today was officially opened with massed choirs speeches and two public slide shows. An elegant new wing was opened 80 years later in 1979. 
In the 1890s the idea of a public art gallery was novel especially in a fledgling colonial community. Suter’s idea of an art gallery reflected the New Zealand Company’s philosophy for the settlement of Nelson. The company brought the full range of British citizens—from gentry to worker—to Nelson in the hope of establishing an egalitarian society that celebrated arts and culture. As the founding president and critic of the Bishopdale Sketching Club Bishop Suter promoted art to everyone in Nelson. He was a great believer in the civilising power of art and is often quoted as saying that bad drawing is a kind of sin; it is a libel on nature. 
It would be very interesting to speculate on his reactions to modern art and to the modern Suter Art Gallery. The original Suter collection has expanded to become an important catalogue of works of major 19th century and early 20th century artists. It includes a large collection of watercolours by the 19th century landscape artist John Gully and several by Charles Goldie and James Richmond but it also has an extensive contemporary collection featuring Tony Fomison Errol Shaw and Jane Evans. It also houses what is probably New Zealand’s best collection of paintings by Sir Tosswill Woollaston who is one of the founders of modern art in New Zealand and who spent his early painting years in Mapua near Nelson. Not long ago I visited the gallery and was impressed by the energy of the staff and the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Trust Board. The gallery is full of young people experimenting with art. The exhibition that was on was called Pakeha Now! curated by Anna-Marie White. The exhibition was discussed recently by Tariana Turia. Here in my hand is the catalogue. It was indeed a challenging exhibition. 
Looking beyond all of the activities in the art gallery I could see that the gallery itself needs redevelopment to upgrade its facilities and to care for its very important and valuable collections. To this end I support this bill and look forward to seeing the Suter flourish and grow and continue to offer visitors the opportunity to “Remember Experience Dream”. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I thank members of the House for their contributions. I want to make just a few comments to Dail Jones Tariana Turia Maryan Street and Judith Tizard in response to a few of the points that they have raised. 
The Hon Judith Tizard raised questions in respect of the provisions of the bill around the donations that were made for the redevelopment. The questions she raised are quite proper ones. I am assured by both the donors and the existing trust board that this bill confirms the understanding reached with those who made financial gifts. But the Hon Judith Tizard properly asks that the select committee look into that issue and ensure that is the case so that nobody’s legal rights are being compromised unfairly as a consequence of this bill. 
In respect of the comments made by Tariana Turia and New Zealand First member Dail Jones I thank the members. I think their comments show there is broad support across the House for the artistic fabric. In respect of the questions about the regional arts and museum funds I note that the Suter did apply to the fund that was established by the Government and its rejection was one of the key reasons that the redevelopment of the Suter Art Gallery was not able to proceed. I wish to give notice that I think that after this bill is passed when there is a new reform and redevelopment of the Suter under a council-owned organisation the Suter will be back knocking on the door of the Government for support in redeveloping the gallery. 
I must say I was a little disappointed that Maryan Street chose to use the debate on this non-controversial bill to make some partisan political points in respect of State ownership. I frankly think it showed as much judgment as her ditty at Labour’s congress in that there is a time for politics and there is a time for unity. I also note for her attention that the Suter Art Gallery was established under an Act of Parliament introduced by John Graham MP who was a Liberal. There is a long heritage of parties on all sides of the House and from all sides of the political spectrum supporting the arts community. Labour does not have a monopoly on arts policy nor arts wisdom. The very fact that the Suter art collection has been run by a private trust very successfully for over 100 years shows that the private sector too has a role to play in the development of Nelson arts and arts generally in New Zealand. 
I thank members for their support. This bill is important for the community of Nelson. I hope that we can expeditiously advance the bill so that the Suter Art Gallery can move to a new governance structure that will see its future being as strong as its past. 
Bill read a first time. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I move  
That the Bishop Suter Art Gallery Governance Restructuring Bill be considered by the Local Government and Environment Committee 
 and that the committee report finally to the House on or before 30 June 2008 
. 
Motion agreed to.