The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) may have to cut up to half its staff if the national institution's funding isn't increased by June of next year, independent senator David Pocock says.
The chair of the NGA, Ryan Stokes, has written to federal Arts Minister Tony Burke about the current financial state of the $6.9 billion facility.
"Over the past five years, the National Gallery has made considerable cuts across the business and conducted two staffing structure reviews to meet rising costs and financial pressures including from the cumulative effect of the efficiency dividend," it says.
Mr Stokes said the current government had provided a "top-up" in "operating funding" which was set to terminate by the end of June next year, after which the gallery would return to base government funding by the end of 2024.
A total of $9 million per annum would be needed in ongoing operating cuts or the gallery would have to take "significant and immediate" action.
The letter, obtained by the ABC after a freedom of information application by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, is heavily redacted but includes details of the cuts and measures proposed by the chair.
It warns "there will be a negative impact on visitor satisfaction and achieving commercial revenue targets" if the cuts go ahead.
"These cuts will restrict access to the National Collection, research and learning opportunities and will reduce the number of visitors to the National Gallery," it says.
"At a minimum, the National Gallery is forecasting a $265.1 million shortfall in the capital funding for the next 10 years.
The 'last resort'
ACT independent senator David Pocock said he had already spoken to ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher about a lack of funding for national institutions in the most recent budget.
"I wrote to Senator Gallagher ahead of the October budget noting the lack of capital funding to carry out essential maintenance on their buildings, and the adverse impacts of not one but two savings measures they are subject to — the APS-wide efficiency dividend and a further savings measure," he said.
"Valued at [almost] $7 billion, the National Gallery is tasked with managing the most valuable collection in the country, one that helps to tell the story of us and our evolving culture.
"They're saying if they don't get more funding they're going to have to look at all these different options from being open less, cutting up to half their staff, charging people for entry."
Katie Russell, the national director of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, said she was deeply concerned that staff cuts had been mentioned.
"Often we see the roles that are cut are essential roles and actually that reduces services and reduces the amenity of the organisation overall," she said.
"Hopefully that's the last resort."
One of Australia's largest financial assets
Ms Russell said the NGA was one of Australia's largest financial assets.
"It's the third most valuable national asset behind the [Australian] defence force and the Snowy Hydro scheme," she said.
Ms Russell has been calling for more financial support for all national institutions including the National Library, which had incurred both a real funding cut and staff losses.
She said the NGA also had structural issues that needed to be addressed.
"[They are] impacted in a grievous way by this lack of funding attention … for example, physical infrastructure in the gallery is just way behind on just general maintenance — [it] needs all of its glazings and all of its glass skylights replaced," Ms Russell said.
Structural issues were also addressed by Mr Stokes in his letter to the arts minister.
"[The gallery's] infrastructure is over 40 years old and is experiencing the impact of ageing and continued lack of adequate capital investment and maintenance," the letter read.
The federal government promised in September that it would be developing a national cultural policy "later this year".
Ms Russell said she was expecting to hear something from the government by next week.
"No other multi-billion dollar investment, whether public or private, would be left to grapple with these types of decisions," Senator Pocock said.
'Arts need to flourish'
Arts Minister Tony Burke said the government was "acutely aware" of the pressures facing national cultural institutions.
"We're working through the issues in order to make decisions about future funding," he said.
The NGA was originally opened under the government of Gough Whitlam, a prime minister who was name-checked in both the letter to Mr Burke and by Ms Russell.
Mr Stokes closed his letter to the minister by saying: "The National Gallery is seeking early and urgent consideration and the provision of sufficient funding to achieve the vision of the National Gallery established under the Whitlam government."
Ms Russell said Mr Burke should "take heed from your predecessor and former Labor arts advocate".
"I'd invoke former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam who said, 'For society to flourish, the arts need to flourish'," she said.
