NZLive.com was launched in September 2006. The website was established by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. The ministry is responsible for "making New Zealand culture more visible and accessible".
"One of the key initiatives to achieve this has been the development of a cultural website for New Zealanders, international tourists and the cultural sector." A lofty spiel, however effectively the ministry's website is an "events calendar"
Still, it sounds great doesn't it! A noble cause that we should all give just a little bit of our tax dollars to support. Surely it is the government's role to promote culture and after all, the development of a website will showcase to Kiwis and our "international tourists" what our national culture and heritage is all about. Is that right?
So how much has NZLive.com cost the New Zealand taxpayer?
Answer $2,869,388.47 (excluding GST) and still counting...
What! I guess that's a lot of money, but we can rest assured that this could not have been duplicated by the money grabbing private sector? Right?
Er...wrong!
Eventfinder.co.nz was launched in January 2006. It's a successful website that is privately operated and like the taxpayer's sponsored, NZLive.com it is also an "events calendar"
Eventfinder.co.nz has some points of difference. The website provides a user friendly database of events where users can sign up for free and can search or upload events. The site currently provides event information to Yahoo!Xtra, MSN, nzherald.co.nz, Stuff.co.nz , AA Travel etc and has more users than any other comparable New Zealand website.
How much has eventfinder.co.nz has cost the New Zealand taxpayer? - nothing!
It's no wonder that the owners of eventfinder.co.nz are somewhat concerned about the continued spending of taxpayers funds by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. They charge the ministry with unnecessarily duplicating and copying the the features and innovation of their own successful website - and using taxpayers funds to do so! See their protest website HERE
What can be done?
Well, the owners of eventfinder.co.nz recommend that you email Christopher Finlayson, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and ask him to stop the Ministry spending more of your money on nzlive.com.
We await the line by line expenditure audit of the National led government to uncover this rout and slash funding to this prescriptive, pompous, self-righteous ministry.
If we had our way, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage would be shut down and packed off to follow their last minister that was last seen heading off into the sunset.
