2018-02-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                               6 FEBRUARY 2018


3.     Staff Assessment of the Noosa Museum proposal

The Masonic Temple is currently protected by a State Heritage listing and well-cared for in
private hands. Previous investigations of the Temple building by Council staff indicate that there
are significant challenges to effectively using the building as an exhibition space particularly its
small size and the need to keep furniture and fittings away from the murals on the walls.

The Noosa Museum is volunteer run and currently only has a very small income stream from
visitors fees, sales of books and images, research fees and grants. A significant percentage of
the Museum’s current annual revenue comes from a Noosa Council Community Alliance grant of
$10,075.

Council’s current heritage priorities are:
  preserving and maintaining those heritage assets that Council already owns or has
    responsibility for, and
  collecting and interpreting heritage for broad community access and education.

Based on these priorities, the provision of additional accommodation for the Museum is not a
Council priority.

Staff see value in approaching the current owners of the building to gain their consent to
undertake a photographic study and developing a 3D virtual tour of the Temple to ensure the
visual preservation of, and improved public access to the unique aspects of the building.

Staff believe the Noosa Museum should focus on implementing the recommendations resulting
from the recent reviews specifically:
    reducing their collection;
    upgrading exhibition displays;
    improving volunteer retention; and
    undertaking training to improve ongoing viability/sustainability.

The financial implications and potential risks inherent in this proposal are discussed in the
Finance section of the report.

Previous Council Consideration
The matter of the purchase and/or relocation of the Cooroora Masonic Temple has come before
Council several times previously, as follows:

2003           Council supported a request by the community for relocation of the Masonic
               Temple to adjacent to the Railway Art Gallery. The community however could not
               meet the conditions and the initiative lapsed

2010-12        Request by the Noosa Museum (the Cooroora Historical Society) for the Sunshine
               Coast Council to acquire the Masonic Temple and relocate the building to the land
               to the rear of the Museum building. This request was not supported by Council.

2015-16        Request by Cooroora Historical Society for Council to acquire the Masonic Temple
               building. This request not supported by Council. Cooroora Historical Society
               advised by Council to undergo a review and strategic planning exercise before
               any further consideration would be given to requests for additional
               accommodation for Museum collection.




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