Media Release

Wednesday 1st October 2003

Heritage Conservation Funding Announced

The Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust is proud to announce a major sponsoring partnership between the Trust, AMP and the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation.

The Trust was established seven years ago to maintain and preserve the remaining baches on Rangitoto Island, to establish an oral history and photographic archive and to find ways to make the restored baches available for public use. Over the past years we have worked with the Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Auckland Regional Council and Auckland City to establish the national significance of the bach communities on Rangitoto Island.

The sponsorship with AMP Financial Services is a logical partnership as AMP's brand values around protecting assets matched that of the Trust and the Foundation. The sponsorship crystallises the tremendous amount of work the Trust has already completed and lets the Trust work towards its future objectives in particular the restoration process.

The sponsorship negotiated on our behalf by the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation Executive Director, Jocelyn Watkin, will enable the restoration of three baches over the next three years. The sponsorship will also allow the Trust to improve access to its archive through a new website and education pages with further archival research.

More than 150 years ago AMP travelled to New Zealand from Australia with its first customer. In the intervening years AMP has built a business and reputation on helping New Zealanders build their wealth and protect their assets. Announcing the sponsorship Ross Kent Managing Director of AMP Financial Services in New Zealand said the partnership with the Trust and the Foundation is an opportunity for AMP to make a contribution to the heritage of Auckland. "AMP has a strong history of community involvement in New Zealand. We see this sponsorship as another way of helping the community protect its historical assets."

Ordinary New Zealanders built the bach communities on Rangitoto Island during the 1920's and 30's. Other bach communities once prevalent throughout the country have largely given way to holiday home developments. The remaining baches not only encapsulate Aucklands development of that time but are also irreplaceable artefacts of New Zealand's architectural and social history.

It is never easy to raise funds for large projects such as this. The Trust has always recognised that the baches are unique for their architectural "window in time" moment but believe that the opportunity to make them available to the public for the traditional kiwi bach holiday of lamplight, long drops and tank water is equally important. Trust Chairman, Elizabeth Andrew, says "AMP's sponsorship and belief in the Trust's ability to make the project work is a shot-in-the-arm for the Trust. It will enable us to move forward with confidence over the next few years to fulfil the dream of many of the leaseholders who have had to give up their precious family bach." As the late Mame Watson a long time lessee said - "I feel it has been a great privilege for us to have been on that island. I really feel that way because we all love the island."

The Trust is also looking forward to working with the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation and continuing its partnership with the Department of Conservation. Depart of Conservation conservator, ROb McCallum, commended the partnership between AMP, The New Zealand National Parks Conservation Foundation and the Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust. It's great to see sponsorship of this project to conserve some of the Rangitoto baches and tell he history of the bach communities so the public can enjoy this part of Auckland's heritage in the future. The department is supportive of the Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust's work on the island.