National Gallery of Australia Faces Potential Closures Amidst Funding Concerns
CANBERRA – The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) is anticipating rolling closures as it grapples with funding gaps needed for essential repairs, including a persistent leak in the roof, prompting criticism from Independent Senator David Pocock. The gallery, home to a $5 billion collection of Australian and international art, requires significant investment to maintain its aging infrastructure.
Senator Pocock has accused the federal goverment of failing to deliver on promises to adequately fund national cultural institutions. “I had hoped the government would actually follow through with their commitment. They told us that they were going to ensure that our national cultural institutions had the funding that they needed, and clearly, that isn’t the case,” he said. “After the promises that were made, and four years of the Labor government, we still have a leaky roof at the National gallery. I think in terms of a cost benefit analysis, if you have $5 billion worth of collections that belong to all Australians, you’d think that fixing a leaky roof would probably pass that. This is something that we have to do.”
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher acknowledged the NGA’s funding requests are under review. “The gallery has come to the government with a number of things they are wanting extra investment for, and we’re working through that,” Senator Gallagher said. “They have a priceless collection at the gallery … and we need to make sure it’s fit for purpose. But, we obviously also need to test some of those costs when they come to the government. There’s more work to do. It’s an aging building.”
the NGA’s situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by many of Australia’s national institutions in securing sufficient funding for both collection maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.