Late Agenda
Ordinary Council Meeting
19 March 2026, 7:00 PM
Council will commence consideration of
all business paper agenda items at 7.00
pm.
Notice
of Meeting
Dear Councillors,
Notice is
given of the Ordinary Council Meeting, to be held in
the Council Chambers on Thursday 19
March 2026 commencing at 7:00 PM. The business
to be transacted at the meeting is included in this business paper.
In accordance with clause 3.26 of the Code of Meeting Practice
Councillors are reminded of their oath or affirmation of office made under
section 233A of the Act, and of their obligations under the Council’s
Code of Conduct to disclose and appropriately manage conflicts of interest.
Yours faithfully
Louise Kerr
General Manager
Council
Meeting Procedures
The Council meeting is chaired by
the Mayor, Councillor Merri Southwood. Councillors are entitled to one vote on
a matter. If votes are equal, the Chairperson has a second or casting vote.
When a majority of Councillors vote in favour of a Motion it becomes a decision
of the Council. Minutes of Council and Committee meetings are published on
Council’s website www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au by 5.00 pm on the Tuesday following
the meeting.
The
Meeting is conducted in accordance with Council's Code of Meeting Practice. The
order of business is listed in the Agenda on the next page. That order will be
followed unless Council resolves to modify the order at the meeting. This may
occur for example where the members of the public in attendance are interested
in specific items on the agenda.
The Public Forum Meetings are no
longer part of Ordinary Council Meetings and are now held separately.
Public Forum
Meetings are held on the Monday prior to the Ordinary Council Meeting. Register
by using the online form no later than 10.00 am on the day of the Public Forum
Meeting.
Please refer to the Public Forum Meeting Guidelines on Council’s
website for further information
www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au/meetings
Alternatively,
members of the public can submit their written address via email to service@lanecove.nsw.gov.au. Written addresses are to be received by Council no later
than midnight, on the day prior to the meeting. (500 words maximum).
Please note that meetings held in
the Council Chambers are webcast, and recordings are made publicly available on
the Council's website. Should you require assistance to participate in the
meeting due to a disability; or wish to obtain further information in relation
to Council, please contact Council’s Director - Corporate Services and
Strategy on (02) 9911 3550.
Ordinary Council Meeting 19 March 2026
Notice of Motion - The
Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios - Sustaining our arts provision in Lane
Cove.
Item No: 11.7
Subject: Notice
of Motion - The Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios - Sustaining our arts
provision in Lane Cove.
Record No: SU5749 - 18300/26
Division: Lane
Cove Council
Author(s): Councillor
Kathy Bryla; Councillor Katie Little
Purpose
For Council to provide short-term
financial assistance to Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios to stabilise
operations, enable a structured organisational reset, and support the
development of a sustainable operating model that recognises the Gallery’s
importance and community value to Lane Cove.
|
RECOMMENDATION
That Council:
1. Acknowledges
its commitment to the cultural sector and recognises that there is currently
no alternative operational funding available from State or Federal Government
sources to sustain this program.
2. Provide
a one-year financial assistance package of $100,000 to Gallery Lane Cove +
Creative Studios, commencing on 1 July 2026, to stabilise operations and
support a structured turnaround plan.
3. To
work collaboratively with the Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios Board over
the next 6 months to determine the sustainable operational funding model for
both the Creative Studios Agreement (expires June 2027) and the Gallery
Management Agreement (due for renewal December 2026) to ensure the new
funding arrangement tied to these agreements reflects the true cost of
maintaining and sustaining this valuable community asset.
4. Requires
the Gallery to use this financial assistance package to:
· Implement
improved financial management and cost-control measures.
· Invest in
technology and systems to reduce administrative workload and staffing
pressure.
· Strengthen
targeted marketing to grow earned revenue and participation.
· Align a minimum
of three key exhibitions with Council’s Community Strategic Plan
priorities (e.g. Chinese New Year, NAIDOC Week, curated cultural programs,
Children’s Art Award).
· Deliver
measurable outcomes in arts education, social inclusion, community
connection, and career pathways for artists.
5. This
one-year investment would act as a stabilisation and reset measure, enabling
the gallery and studios to restructure, improve efficiency, and position
itself for longer-term financial sustainability.
6. Delegate
to the General Manager to:
a) Write
to the Federal Member for Bennelong seeking support for the organisation
(Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios), including advocacy, opportunities for
additional arts and cultural funding streams, and partnership or
community-engagement opportunities;
b) Write
to the Commonwealth Special Envoy for the Arts and the New South Wales
Minister for the Arts seeking support and opportunities for additional arts
and cultural funding streams relevant to the organisation; and
c) Report
back to Council on outcomes of this correspondence and any identified
opportunities for collaboration or support.
|
DISCUSSION
Background
The Lane Cove Gallery began life as a
dedicated exhibition space in 2012, established to provide a
community-centred art gallery showcasing
contemporary and modern art by local, national and
international artists. It is managed by
Centrehouse Incorporated, a long-standing local not-for-profit arts
organisation and is partly funded with support from Lane Cove Council
(Council). In June 2018, the facility expanded with the opening of creative studios,
transforming the site into an integrated arts hub combining gallery and studio
spaces. The Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios (the Gallery) runs a program
of workshops, term classes and masterclasses across diverse disciplines, and
continues to act as a cultural focal point in Lane Cove — blending
exhibition, education and creative practice under one roof.
The Community Strategic Plan (CSP), adopted
by Council on 19 June 2025, sets a long-term vision for the area as a
connected, inclusive and sustainable community. The CSP includes a dedicated
theme on Our Culture, emphasising the importance of arts, cultural engagement,
education and community participation in building social cohesion and a vibrant
local identity. The Gallery contributes directly to these objectives by
offering accessible contemporary art exhibitions, creative education and
community-focused workshops that encourage participation across ages and
backgrounds — fostering cultural expression and inclusion within the
local community. In this way it not only enriches the cultural life of Lane
Cove but also embodies the CSP’s commitment to nurturing a socially
engaged, culturally vibrant and connected community by 2035.
Context
Local galleries across New South Wales are
facing significant financial strain as a result of several changes:
- Restructured state
government funding to the arts have resulted in these galleries not receiving
long term, recurrent support, creating uncertainty and forcing local councils
to absorb funding shortfalls.
- Scaling back and discontinuation
of children’s arts initiatives such as the Creative Kids component of the
NSW Government voucher schemes has reduced financial support for families
participating in gallery workshops and creative programs.
- Rising costs of
art materials, workshop supplies, and general operational expenses due to
inflation, galleries are under pressure to either increase participant fees or
cut programming.
- Increase in wages
to pay artists and staff working in galleries in the aim to ensure the arts
workplace is fair in its approach to staff employment.
Together, reduced government funding, lower
youth participation support, and higher delivery costs are placing sustained
pressure on the sustainability and accessibility of local gallery services.
Local galleries play a vital social role
within their communities. They act as accessible cultural hubs where people of
different ages and backgrounds can gather, connect and participate in shared
experiences. Educational arts programs in particular foster creativity,
confidence and critical thinking in children and young people, while also
strengthening intergenerational engagement through workshops, talks and
community exhibitions.
There are also significant psychological
benefits associated with having accessible arts programs locally. Participation
in creative activities has been linked to reduced stress, improved emotional
regulation and enhanced overall wellbeing. For young people, structured arts
education can support resilience, communication skills and self-expression; for
adults and older residents, creative engagement can reduce social isolation and
support mental health. When galleries are adequately funded and able to deliver
inclusive educational programs, they contribute not only to cultural life but
to the broader social and emotional wellbeing of the community.
Strengthening a Critical Cultural and
Community Asset
As community-based, not-for-profit
organisation operating on behalf of the Lane Cove community, the Gallery
delivers outcomes efficiently and with a high level of community engagement,
leveraging Council’s investment to deliver significant social and
cultural return. However, like many small cultural organisations, the Gallery
operates within a structurally constrained financial model. While program
revenue contributes significantly to operating costs, the Gallery’s
ability to fully recover its costs through user charges alone is inherently
limited by its community access mission and Council’s shared objective of
ensuring arts participation remains accessible and inclusive.
Council’s existing operational
funding has provided essential support and enabled the Gallery to deliver
important community outcomes. However, this funding level has not kept pace
with the increasing cost of service delivery, including staffing, program
delivery, and operational costs, nor the growing demand for community arts
programs.
Without an increase in baseline operational
funding, the Gallery faces increasing constraints in its ability to:
• Sustain current levels of community
access and programming
• Maintain operational stability and
organisational capability
• Expand programs to meet
demonstrated community demand
• Continue delivering on
Council’s strategic objectives for cultural participation and community
connection
The Gallery operated on $518,000.00 in
revenue in its last reporting year, significantly lower in funding than its
relevant peers. A comparison shown below.
Community and Regional Gallery Revenue Comparison
(Australia)
|
Organisation
|
Total Annual Revenue (approx.)
|
Source
|
|
Ngununggula Southern Highlands Regional Gallery (NSW)
|
$1.2m – $1.6m
|
Annual reports and charity financial filings (regional
gallery scale benchmark)
|
|
Maitland Regional Art Gallery (NSW)
|
$2.5m – $4m
|
Maitland City Council annual reports (council-operated
regional gallery)
|
|
Hazelhurst Arts Centre (Sutherland Shire Council)
|
$3m – $5m
|
Sutherland Shire Council annual reports
|
|
Mosman Art Gallery (NSW)
|
$1.5m – $3m
|
Mosman Council annual reports (cultural services division)
|
|
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf (NSW)
|
$1.5m – $2.5m
|
Woollahra Council cultural services financial statements
|
|
New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM, Armidale)
|
$1.5m – $2.5m
|
Council and charity annual reports
|
Overall, the Gallery is struggling to maintain financial
viability under its current funding model, despite playing a central role in
building cultural capital, fostering collaboration, celebrating local identity
and diversity, and creating opportunities for community connection and
wellbeing through arts participation in Lane Cove. It has been identified by
the Board of the Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios that it is facing
significant financial and operational pressure that threatens its ongoing
viability. Additional annual operational funding has been identified as
necessary in order for the Gallery to continue to:
· Ensure
long-term organisational sustainability and stability
· Maintain
and expand accessible arts education and cultural programming
· Strengthen
its capacity to serve Lane Cove’s growing and evolving community
· Continue
delivering strong alignment with Council’s Community Strategic Plan
priorities
· Protect
and enhance an important cultural asset for current and future residents
The Gallery represents a modest but highly
leveraged investment for Council, delivering significant and measurable
community benefit, and ensuring that arts and cultural participation remain an
accessible and valued part of life in Lane Cove.
Councillor Kathy Bryla
Councillor
Councillor Katie Little
Councillor
ATTACHMENTS:
There are no supporting documents for this report.