2018-02-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                6 FEBRUARY 2018



REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE
1                        REQUEST TO PURCHASE THE COOROORA MASONIC TEMPLE
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                              Director Community Services, Alan ‘Fox’ Rogers,
                                    Community Services Department

Index                               ECM/ Subject/ Property Management - Acquisition/ Purchase/ Disposal

Attachments                         1.    Noosa Museum letter dated 20 December 2017 (Note: 35 page
                                          attachment provided separately to this report)



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Director Community Services to the Services and
Organisation Committee Meeting dated 6 February 2018 regarding the request from the Noosa
Museum for Council to contribute funding to assist in the purchase the Cooroora Masonic Temple
and:
A.                       Advise the Noosa Museum that Council does not support their request for Council to gift
                         $225,000 (or any amount of funds) from the Heritage Levy to purchase the Cooroora
                         Masonic Temple;
B.                       Resolve not to purchase the Cooroora Masonic Temple;
C.                       Encourage the Museum to progress the implementation of the recommendations of the
                         2017 Strategic Review; and
D.                       Give consideration in the 2018/19 budget process to funding a photographic study and
                         developing a 3D virtual tour of the Cooroora Masonic Temple to ensure the visual
                         preservation of, and improved public access to the unique aspects of the building subject to
                         the owner’s consent.



REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide a background and overview of issues related to the
request by the Noosa Museum (the Museum) for Council to assist them to purchase the
Cooroora Masonic Temple.

Following a meeting with the Mayor on 11 December 2017, members of the Museum
Management Committee wrote to the Mayor requesting that Council consider becoming a
financial partner with the Museum in the purchase of the Cooroora Masonic Temple and land.
The Management Committee feel that the purchase of the Temple would allow the Museum to
operate the Temple as a visitor attraction/annexe to the Museum.

Following a discussion between the Mayor and Councillors, Community Services staff were
requested to report to Council regarding the Museum’s request.




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