Council endorses a new direction for QVMAG
Image: Exterior view of the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk.
The City of Launceston has outlined a dynamic new future for Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery with the unanimous endorsement of a new future directions plan at today's Council meeting.
The QVMAG Future Directions Plan contains a roadmap to a new governance structure, a sustainable funding model, and improved activation outcomes, as well as infrastructure overhauls of both Royal Park and Inveresk sites.
The new governance model is known as a 'company limited by guarantee', allowing the Council to retain ownership of the museum buildings and collection.
A new skills-based board will also be established to oversee all operational activities.
This structure will allow the QVMAG to be registered and endorsed as a recognised charity and to seek out funding opportunities to supplement its operational activities.
The plan also outlines five potential future funding models, as opposed to the current model which sees the majority of funding met by Launceston ratepayers, with around 20 per cent currently coming from the State Government.
Mayor van Zetten said the Council believed the State Government needed to increase its share of funding to better reflect the museum's role as a state-level institution and to provide more equity for Launceston ratepayers.
'The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is one of Launceston's most treasured and important cultural institutions,' Mayor van Zetten said.
'This ambitious Future Directions Plan aims to set the institution on a pathway to an exciting, sustainable and secure future.
'For 130 years the QVMAG has been exploring, cataloguing and celebrating the rich cultural fabric of our city, region and State.
'QVMAG can look back on a very proud past, but it's most exciting years are yet to come.'
City of Launceston excited for QVMAG Futures Plan
QVMAG Futures Plan 'exciting junction'
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery on the brink of living up to ifs full potential, City of Launceston councillors say.
Councillors agreed they were on the "cusp of something pretty special" when they voted to endorse the QVMAG Futures Plan.
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Deputy mayor Danny Gibson said council and the community were at an "exciting junction."
Mayor Albert van Zetten said he had long seen council struggle with where to go with QVMAG and thanked chief officer Michael Stretton for taking the initiative on the Futures Plan and to QVMAG general manager Shane Fitzgerald for following through.
The recommendation presented to council at their meeting on Thursday, June 30 included committing to the QVMAG's advised governance arrangement to transition to a company limited by guarantee.
Cr Gibson stated City of Launceston would still retain ownership of QVMAG and its assets, in case there was any confusion regarding changes and who owned the museum and art gallery.
Council also committed to an interim transitionary board to be established and governance framework review was commenced which outlines the pathway of transition.
The council will also now lobby the Tasmanian government to increase operation funding for QVMAG.
Councillor Andrea Dawkins said now it was a matter of leading the state government to why QVMAG should get further funding.
Council will also support QVMAG move towards generating their own revenue. The new structure will allow the QVMAG to be registered and endorsed as a recognised charity, meaning they can seek new means of funding.
Cr van Zetten said he along with state, federal and council funds, more Launceston and Tasmanian entrepreneurs would look to donate to QVMAG as a charitable organisation. "I think we'll see significant funds come from many in our c9ommunity who are doing well," he said.
Cr van Zetten also highlighted the important of cultural tourism and what it will bring to Launceston and more broadly Tasmania.
"Cultural tourism is so important in Australia today and the world is something that is growing," he said. "We've seen that and that can happen here. There's no reason why can't it hasn't happened yet ... We need to tap into that as well. And that's what this will do, I believe."
Councillor Tim Walker said QVMAG was something many Launcestonions hold in their hearts. "It's not something we should take for granted," he said.
The final recommendation endorsed by council was QVMAG will now establish and implement an advancement strategy.
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