Borough to strengthen ties with Queenscliff museums

THE Borough of Queenscliffe voted to strengthen its relationship with the municipality’s museums at its council meeting last week, recognising these cultural institutions and their collections as “key social and economic assets”.

A notice of motion, which was presented by mayor Di Rule at the March 26 meeting and adopted unanimously, proposed the development of a museum destination strategy and the integration of Queenscliff’s museums into the council’s strategic operations, to better support and promote the borough’s cultural offering.

“Heritage is consistently prioritised by the community in all consultation processes, highlighting the need for a formalised and strategic approach to museum support,” Cr Rule said.

“Museums not only contribute to arts and culture, but also play a vital role in economic and community development.

“Representatives from our museums are seeking greater support and further investment from council. Indeed, a coordinated approach to governance, advocacy and resource allocation will strengthen the sustainability and impact of these institutions.”

She proposed the formation of an advisory committee to help guide the process of embedding museum recognition into the council’s strategic framework to ensure “cultural heritage is preserved, promoted and leveraged for community and economic benefit”.

The Queenscliffe Maritime Museum welcomed the commitment and said there was significant untapped potential for the borough’s museums to contribute further to economic growth, tourism and community development.

“I look forward to working closely with council to create a strong future for the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum,” museum president Kerri Erler said.

“By recognising the value of our collections, increasing strategic support and fostering collaboration, we can ensure that our shared history continues to be celebrated while also contributing to the borough’s broader economic and social wellbeing.”

Cr Donnie Grigau also presented a notice of motion to the council during the meeting, calling for the borough to adopt a graffiti management policy that outlines a “structured response” to incidents.

The council voted 4-1 in favour of the motion, with only Cr Isabelle Tolhurst voting against the policy after raising concerns about the lack of community consultation undertaken before the policy was developed.

Cr Tolhurst then presented a notice of motion of her own, urging the council to develop a consistent approach to urban design and public realm assets across the borough to “enhance access and safety”, “improve local storytelling” and “reduce visual pollution”.

The council voted unanimously to develop the framework, with an advisory committee to be established through an expression of interest process to help guide the direction of the policy.