Bunker Cartoon Gallery seeks financial help from Coffs Council despite record visitation

Despite a dramatic increase in visitors, the redeveloped Cartoon Gallery is seeking financial backing from Council.

The $3m National Cartoon Gallery redevelopment was opened to the public in February. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Despite visitor numbers almost tripling this year, the Bunker Cartoon Gallery is facing a financial shortfall and is looking to draw on Council for assistance.

On Thursday, Coffs Harbour City Councillors will decide whether to offer an operational subsidy to the gallery following representations from its Chairman, Paul McKeon, seeking $300,000 over the next two years.

It is also seeking $50,000 for a grant application.

Since the Gallery unveiled its $3 million redevelopment in February more than 3000 people have visited, however, that has not been enough to cover costs.

It is the third time the gallery has sought financial assistance from Council following successful requests in 2018 and 2020 for costs associated with preparing a grant application, the upgrading of utilities and an operations subsidy.

The gallery received a $2.6 million NSW Government grant in late 2018 to help support the expansion.

The first exhibition in the new National Cartoon Gallery building was a Bill Leak retrospective. Photo: Tim Jarrett

In a letter to Council, Mr McKeon said the rapid growth of operations since the new gallery opened meant they need a minimum of three paid staff.

“Once the Jobkeeper payments ceased and Council’s current subsidy finishes in June, we will have no chance of funding the three paid staff we need to operate and grow the gallery,” he said.

“We have already proved we can perform. The National Cartoon Gallery is now hugely popular with both residents and visitors and is already proving to be a major cultural and tourist attractions for our city.”

Predictions the gallery would be financially sustainable by 2021 have proven off the mark, in large part due to its inability to establish a permanent exhibition showing the history of Australia through cartoonists’ eyes.

The gallery expected revenue from the new exhibition would deliver a surplus, however, a letter from Mr McKeon states the pandemic “put an end to that plan” when no arts grants were made available until the end of 2020.

Council staff are recommending $150,000 be provided as an operational subsidy with the gallery to provide another submission in March 2022.

Paul McKeon says the pandemic prevented the Gallery from pushing ahead with its plans for a permanent exhibition. It was expected revenue from the exhibition would sustain the Gallery. Photo: Tim Jarrett

However, staff also note in their report that issues around financial viability raised when the gallery previously approached Council for funding, appeared to be coming to fruition.

That is, there was risk in relying on the financial projections within the original business case and that budget projections were “silent” on depreciation and maintenance of the new facility.

“There is a risk that should Council not provide some level of assistance to the BCG Inc., the financial sustainability of the National Cartoon Gallery may be compromised,” the report states.

“There is a strong argument that the facility does provide alignment with Creative Coffs and will provide additional cultural experiences for the region.

“Given that Council has provided quite considerable assistance in the past, it would seem prudent to provide some assistance to ensure the gallery reaches its potential and has the greatest opportunity to become more financially sustainable.”