Mornington Peninsula – The Mornington Peninsula’s arts and performing arts community has voiced strong opposition to proposed changes to the way local grants and funding are allocated, following a new policy direction endorsed by the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council last week.
During the most recent council meeting, Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro outlined a revised Community Support funding model, which would see grant allocations determined through a competitive application process, rather than automatically rolling over previous arrangements.
Cr Pingiaro said the move was intended to ensure greater equity and value for ratepayers, claiming the previous model had been subject to “entrenchment” by some sectors, including performing arts groups, who had come to expect ongoing financial support.
“That is no longer the case,” Cr Pingiaro told the meeting.
The response from the local arts sector has been swift and critical, with several groups accusing the council of introducing the changes without adequate consultation or transparency.
During a recent interview on RPP FM radio, Barnacle Studios Director Max Johnson described the council’s new policy as a “direct attack on local arts viability”, saying it threatened the sustainability of grassroots arts organisations across the region.
“The feedback from the community as I understand it is it’s already very, very difficult to secure any of this funding, so to completely change the model without any consultation or telling people what that might look like in advance, it’s frightening. We don’t know where we stand,” Mr Johnson said.
Artists and creative organisations are reportedly coordinating efforts to challenge the changes, with some exploring petition campaigns, community forums, and direct appeals to councillors ahead of the next budget cycle.
More details on how the new competitive funding process will work are expected to be released by the Shire in coming weeks.
The Arts are the beating heart of the Mornington Peninsula. This is madness.
Good on Council. The previous council was irresponsible with Grants, Funding and just about all programs. This is merit based and gives everyone a chance. The only folks that could be afraid are the LAZY ones wanting the grants forever without review and any that do not represent general Community value and interests. Brave move.