Documents for release: Excerpted reports from Ngā Taonga and briefings from the
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Ngā Taonga Six-monthly Report 2015-16: 1 July 2015 – 31 December 2015
“Significant Risks and Opportunities
While the approved storage conditions KPI is being met, one site remains problematic. The
cold vault at Avalon, which was designed to operate at 7 – 8°C, is well above Ngā Taonga’s
colour film storage standard. The other areas of concern are Christchurch where the storage
is air-conditioned but not dehumidified or sealed, and the Wellington Map Room (Buckle St)
facility. This regularly moves outside the preferred conditions though overall maintains a
relatively stable environment. In light of these concerns, Standards undertook a review of the
archive’s storage facilities and conditions.”
NOTES FOR PAUL JAMES FOR NGĀ TAONGA BOARD MEETING: Friday 11 December
2015, 9-10am
“Moving collections to Avalon
If the seismic strengthening programme goes ahead, Ngā Taonga is likely to need to move
the collections held in Taranaki Street to Avalon, using all the space not currently used by
the TVNZ Archive collection. This may conflict with a recent request from the Chief
Archivist to MCH and Ngā Taonga to move the Archives NZ collections to the Avalon vaults
while Archives NZ does its seismic strengthening work on its Wellington building.”
Briefing: MEETING WITH NGĀ TAONGA SOUND & VISION BOARD AND WEBSITE
LAUNCH, January 2016
“Moving collections to Avalon
17
If Ngā Taonga’s seismic strengthening programme goes ahead (see below), Ngā
Taonga is likely to need to move the collections held in Taranaki Street to Avalon,
using all the space not currently used by the TVNZ Archive collection. This may
conflict with a recent request from the Chief Archivist to MCH and Ngā Taonga to
move the Archives NZ collections to the Avalon vaults while Archives NZ does its
seismic strengthening work on its Wellington building.”
Email from Carrie Cooke, Media Policy Manager, MCH, to the EA to the Group Manager
Policy, MCH RE: Proposed meeting Archives NZ/ Paul Barker on 25th August about
Archives NZ long term strategy, 16 August 2016
“Nga Taonga and Archives NZ:
In current discussions regarding the use of “Avalon” (a facility in Miramar, owned by
Archives NZ, and leased to Nga Taonga for storage of archive material):
o Archives NZ is in discussion with Nga Taonga to temporarily move some of
their material into Avalon, while they renovate some of their own storage.
o Subject to your view, our position is that this is a matter for archives NZ and
Nga Taonga to agree. Archives NZ have a clear contract leasing the space to
Nga Taonga, so they cannot simply move in – they must come to an
agreement.
o Rebecca Elvy (Nga Taonga’s CE) is working the issue through with Archives
NZ, and at present it does not need our engagement. However, Archives NZ
may raise it in their meeting with you. This would be our first engagement with
Archives NZ on this topic.
[Withheld under s9(2)(g)(i) of the Official Information Act 1982.]”
Briefing: NGĀ TAONGA SOUND AND VISION: DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2015/16,
November 2016
“Operations: increase in salaries due to new positions hired during the year, increase in
overheads due to Ngā Taonga becoming the Archive Manager for the TVNZ Collection and
paying for the facilities used at Avalon, and costs associated with investigating earthquake
strengthening proposals.”
Briefing: NGA TAONGA SOUND & VISION: FOR SEISMIC STRENGTHENING RESPONSE
TO CHAIR'S LETTER ON FUNDING, December 2015
“3. In the past year the Archive acquired approximately 600,000 items, being the contents of
the TVNZ Archive, housed in Crown-owned facilities at Avalon, Lower Hutt. This acquisition
quadrupled the size of the Archive's collections.”
Monthly Cultural Agency Report for Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision: November 2016
“Ngā Taonga’s audiovisual collection was unaffected by the recent major earthquake and
aftershocks in the South Island and Wel ington, with no damage to report. The Archive’s
facilities and vaults in Wellington, Avalon, the Kapiti Coast and Christchurch were closed for
a couple of days to allow engineers to check and confirm our buildings were safe.”
Email from Rebecca Elvy, CE of Ngā Taonga, to Paul James, CE of MCH, Re: Update on
Changes at Ngā Taonga, 19 December 2016
“The changes include moving the national sound collection from where it is currently stored
in makeshift facilities in Christchurch to a more appropriate, purpose-built vault at Avalon,
Lower Hutt. Our team has put considerable thought and analysis into the decision. We have
staff who have been based in Christchurch for a long time; we tried hard to find solutions that
would enable the collection to remain in Christchurch, but found it would be unaffordable.
Avalon is the best viable option available to safeguard this nationally significant collection.”
161209 Fact Sheet for Stakeholders
“We already have purpose-built, climate-controlled facilities at Avalon with the capacity to
safely house the sound collection at no additional cost. These are built to a high standard of
resilience to natural disasters.”
