Economic Rationalism

A recent notice of motion by Alderman Ivan Dean at a Launceston City Council meeting, to reduce the numbers of aldermen from 12 to 10, was defeated 7 to 3.

The reason given for the motion was to reduce costs to the ratepayer by saving two allowances and on costs. The motive though questionable was debated and Giving Alderman Dean the benefit of the doubt may have been with good intent.

The discussion around the table raised many issues and as stated was eventually defeated. During the debate, mention was made of the saving made by staff cuts in 2006 as having reduce operating costs over the many divisions within council and the benefits passed on to ratepayers, But was there really a saving…….? I was one of the 13 staff made redundant under the then Mayor Ald. Dean, and General Manager Frank Dixon’s directive.

Economic rationalism when applied to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, had disastrous consequences. Closing service provision literally downgraded the Museum from active in house exhibition provision to a Museum reliant on accessing exhibitions at huge cost to the rate base, the ‘Game On’ exhibition a prime example, a loss of over $300,000.00

Back in the ninety’s the QVMAG had six exhibitions put together by Museum staff and travelling both nationally and internationally, and generating income for the QVMAG, adding to the budget bottom line.

So what resulted from the cuts? Two major service providers to the ongoing viability of the QVMAG were lost, the Preparation and Large Object Conservation departments, both integral to the ongoing success of the Museum, and its ability to generate contrarily significant exhibitions. The brains trust of the Museum followed shortly after with over fifty key curators and allied staff having lost confidence in the QVMAG management at the time, leaving the Museum.

Today our Museum has limited capacity to put together in-house exhibitions to the standard of the ninety’s. This is no reflection on the current Director who is the right man to rejuvenate the QVMAG. The glory days however are far behind, although the collection has great potential for future endeavour the brains trust has left the building.

We now have similar staff numbers to that prior to the staff cuts, and two less departments, necessitating outsourcing for future in-house exhibition generations. The same recruitment became necessary throughout the council in order to meet the operation demands of council, all in the name of economic rationalism.