2022-07-21 Ordinary Meeting Agenda

ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                                 21 JULY 2022


9.    ORDINARY MEETING REPORTS


5     GALLERY SITE VISITS – TRAVEL COSTS

Author            Director Community Services, Kerri Contini
                  Community Services Department

Index             ECM/ Subject/ 27.95 Councillors Expenses and Reimbursements

Attachments       Nil.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Noosa Council is progressing through the feasibility stages to determine options for a successful and
sustainable future of Noosa Regional Gallery. Council is currently undertaking the Pre-feasibility
Study Stage 2 which includes community consultation and detailed options analysis to either develop
a new gallery on the existing site or design and construct a new gallery on an alternative site.
To assist with the process of deciding upon a sustainable model for a future regional gallery, Council
staff and Councillors will be conducting site visits of two highly regarded contemporary regional
galleries: HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast and the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret
Olley Art Centre in Murwillumbah. Due to the length of travel and site visit time, it is proposed to
conduct the site visits over two days with tentative dates set for 16 and 17 August.
The total cost for the site visits will be approximately $1,600 for 8 attendees. It is proposed that the
cost of the site visits be met by the Galleries’ Pre-feasibility Study budget, in line with other study
costs. As these site visits are an integral part of the process to determine the new direction for the
Regional Gallery, it is proposed that the travel costs be funded by Council for Councillors and
employees.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Director Community Services to the Ordinary Meeting dated 21
July 2022 and approve Council funding the reasonable costs of overnight travel for Councillors and
staff attending the site visits of Gold Coast and Tweed regional galleries.

REPORT
The purpose of this report is to seek endorsement for Council to fund the travel costs associated
with site visits of Gold Coast and Tweed regional galleries as part of the Noosa Regional Gallery
Pre-feasibility Study Stage 2.
1.    Background
The Noosa Regional Gallery was established in 1981 and moved to its current location on the lower
level within the Tewantin Noosa Council administration building in 1989. It has been a very
successful and popular gallery, attracting 47,000 visitors per year prior to Covid. The Gallery
however has been experiencing a range of maintenance and operational issues which place the
service at risk.
In 2014, Council completed a Galleries’ Service Review which posed the need for considering the
future of the Gallery service to address a range of growing issues. Since that review Council has
undertaken several studies which confirmed the need for improved facilities and opportunity for
expanded Regional Gallery services.
The 2019 – 2023 Noosa Cultural Plan identified that the Regional Gallery required review and
included a priority action to ‘explore the feasibility of a new signature Regional Gallery which better
reflects contemporary audience expectations, spearheads cultural momentum, exploits cultural

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