A cash flow crisis could force the closure of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari by the end of August.
“Prior to Wednesday we would be looking at six weeks before we were going to shut up shop,” Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari general manager Helen Hughes told The News on Friday.
Helen Hughes
The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, which operates the $5000 a day 3400-hectare predator-proof enclosure, the world’s largest, collected $83,600 in ticket sales from 380 people at a gala dinner and art auction last week. They were 20 $220 tickets short of a sell-out.
“My hope is money that we have raised will give us a bit more breathing space to take us until the end of August to try and find the funds to bridge the gap,” said Hughes, who took on the role eight months ago.
Hughes is focussed on fundraising, while investigating what “shutting up shop” could look like at the end of August as she currently doesn’t know.
“We have got an immediate cash flow issue. The trust has been going backwards in terms of revenue for a long time.”
The loss of the contestable Department of Conservation Community Fund had cost the organisation $300,000 a year over the last four years and other sources of funding had dried up in the worsening economic climate.
“What we are seeing is a reduction in funding. Central government and funding organisations have cash constraints.”
Don Scarlet
Hughes and trust co-chair Don Scarlet are seeking help to fill the funding shortfall.
“We are seriously cash constrained, because that’s what’s happening in the community,” Scarlet said. “Everyone is doing it hard; we are doing it hard.”
Sanctuary Mountain’s 18 full time equivalent staff welcomed a record 20,000 visitors in the last year, including 4000 school students.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, viewing tower
“We had a fantastic fundraising gala dinner and auction. Almost 400 people were there for one reason – to support that amazing project.”
“We are trying to keep doing everything we need to do to keep the fence secure, to keep the kiwi secure, kākāpō maintained and our enclosure secure.”
The fence was breached twice in May in high winds.
Scarlet said it was too early to report the trust’s financial position as accounts were being prepared for auditing.
Asked how much cash the trust needed, Scarlet said: “How long is a piece of string? I would love half a million dollars at the moment to build resilience and another two and half million to build a new visitor centre.”
A pair of kōkako at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
“Half a million dollars would give us 12 to 18 months of breathing space,” Hughes said.
“Three thousand people giving us $25 per month would solve it.”
“I would love anyone who supports this project to find a little bit of cash in their wallet and send it our way,” Scarlet said.
Hughes said she was feeling deflated.
“I feel like I am screaming in a crowded space, and nobody is listening,” she said.
“I am focussed on trying to solve this problem. I am tired. It’s an emotionally trying process. I believe passionately in what we are doing. I don’t want to see us fail. I believe that we will get there. This is a community led initiative and it’s going to need the community of New Zealand to solve it.”
A safe haven for endangered native species is itself struggling to survive. Photo: Quinn Dallinger.
