REVEALED: Auckland sitting on half a billion dollars of art, less than 2 percent displayed

Auckland Council owns a $548 million art collection, yet only 1.92 percent of it is on public display, according to a new Taxpayers' Union report, The Art of the State: the value of New Zealand's council art collections.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Josh Van Veen, said:

"Auckland ratepayers own one of the most valuable public art collections in the Southern Hemisphere, but are we seeing $548 million of value back for it?”

“Auckland's collection comprises of 14,824 artworks worth $548.2 million, equal to $899 in art assets for every Auckland household. They also budgeted to spend almost $9 million this year on art-related costs, including further acquisitions. While ratepayers are charged with the highest rates increase in the Supercity's history, how is this spending justifiable?”

"There's nothing wrong with public art, but there is something wrong with spending millions maintaining and expanding a collection when 98 percent of it sits out of sight while Auckland ratepayers face ever-rising rates."

The Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance is calling on Auckland Council to publish a complete collection register and review whether underutilised assets should remain on the balance sheet.