WA government abandons art gallery, library & museum merger

The WA state government has abandoned a proposed amalgamation of the State Library of Western Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum, reports the Australian (paywall).

The Australian first reported the proposed amalgamation plan for the three institutions in April. It cited a confidential report commissioned by the government, which included a cost-benefit analysis of merging two or three of the institutions, as part of the government’s wider reform program of its departments and agencies.

Local government, sport and cultural industries director general Duncan Ord told the Australian that ‘the government has decided not to proceed with any legislative reform of the three cultural institutions during this term of government’.

In May, the Australian Library and Information Association wrote to the WA government about the proposed merger, calling for a halt to any decision until after a full consultation with the industry.

Category: Library news