AS he toured the newly redeveloped Museum of Art and Culture at Lake Macquarie, the state Arts Minister Don Harwin praised the city council for what it had helped create.
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"This is clearly a council that's investing in arts and culture in their area," he said. "This is a great gallery."
The minister has been in the Hunter to officially open the $2.3 million dollar redevelopment of the former Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery. The work received about $736,000 in state funding, with the balance coming from the council.
Mr Harwin saw that as a contrast to the long-delayed and much-debated expansion of Newcastle Art Gallery.
"I think there's a bit of a contrast between what's happening in council's support for the arts and culture between Lake Macquarie and Newcastle," he said.
"Two-thirds of the work that's been done here has been paid for by the local council. I've never seen a proposal yet from Newcastle Council where they were prepared to put up more than about 20 to 30 per cent of the cost themselves.
"I find that absolutely extraordinary, given the amount of economic activity that's been generated by the state government in the city of Newcastle."
As debate over the project has continued through the years, its cost has increased. The council has estimated the project's cost at about $36 million. The project stumbled about five years ago, when the council had to return a $7 million federal grant after failing to secure state funding. More recently, the council had revised its business case, had submitted it to the state government and was awaiting a response.
The new chair of the board of the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation, Suzie Galwey, said on top of the $1.2 million already raised by the community for the redevelopment, the Foundation proposed raising "at least $5 million by 2023".
"We're really committed to reinvigorating and refocusing this discussion in 2020," Ms Galwey said.
Mr Harwin said the council had to be "more realistic" about its contribution, and "until then, I don't think it will progress".
"I really think the gallery is so lucky that they've got a great Foundation with some really committed people, and I'd like to do more," said Mr Harwin. "But I think this idea that Newcastle City Council expects the state and federal governments to pay more than 50 per cent of the cost of a gallery for the city is just not going to fly."
A City of Newcastle spokesperson said, "we have long supported a tripartite funding model between the local, state and federal governments" for the project.
"We welcome the Minister's formal support for an expanded Newcastle Art Gallery," the spokesperson said.