Matt Gudinski vows to save Australian Music Vault amid Arts Centre’s financial crisis

Mushroom Group boss Matt Gudinski is calling on the Andrews government to ensure the survival of the Australian Music Vault.

The late Michael Gudinski with his son Matt Gudinski, who has vowed to help fight for the Australian Music Vault. Picture: Supplied.

Mushroom Group boss Matt Gudinski will fight to save the Australian Music Vault after fears it will be closed due to funding cuts at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

The vault, with items and rarities from Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes, Molly Meldrum, Tina Arena, Men At Work, INXS, and many more legends, was founded in 2017 by Matt’s father, the late music boss Michael Gudinski.

“So many people, including my dad, Kylie, Molly and Tina Arena fought so hard to ensure the history of Australian music was showcased in a hall of fame of sorts,” Matt Gudinski told the Herald Sun.

“There was no other city, other than Melbourne, one of the great music cities of the world, for the Australian Music Vault to be in. To hear that might be lost, after all the efforts by so many to bring it to life, is really sad. I really hope the Victorian Government, and the powers that be realise how important the music vault is to the culture of this city, and it lives on.”

Mushroom Group boss Matt Gudinski, pictured with Ed Sheeran at the statue of Matt's late father Michael Gudinski, will fight to save the Australian Music Vault. Picture: supplied

It came as Premier Daniel Andrews downplayed the centre’s financial crisis, which was revealed by the Herald Sun on Tuesday.

Internal Arts Centre documents obtained by the Herald Sun say the institution is in financial strife and set out scenarios that include cutting programs, slashing jobs or closing unless it gets as much as an extra $223m from the taxpayer.

Mr Andrews said he was not familiar with the documents but the arts had been “supported very strongly” by the government and “always will be”.

“Some of the concerns in the art sector, I don’t think they’re well founded,” he said.

He said the Arts Centre was not the only organisation wanting more money from the state budget in May and warned that finances were tight because of a spending blowout during the pandemic.

“We used the state budget to protect the household budget,” he said.

Kylie Minogue launches her costume exhibition at the Melbourne Arts Centre alongside Molly Meldrum. Picture: supplied

“Now that money has to be paid back. More importantly, we have to stop the borrowing.”

Options in the leaked Arts Centre documents include cutting financial support to its resident organisations – the Australian Ballet, Opera Australia, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Theatre Company – and asking the state government to change state law to waive $800,000 a year in congestion charge tax paid on the centre’s car park, which brings in $3m a year.

A spokesperson for Treasurer Tim Pallas declined to comment on the car park tax proposal.

The grimmest scenario being considered by the Arts Centre includes selling major assets and sacking 30 per cent of staff – at least 70 people – as well as shutting the vault and “mothballing” exhibits that include Kylie Minogue’s famous gold hot pants.

Matt Gudinski said his father would be “yelling and screaming” at plans to shut down the Music Vault.

Melbourne’s Art Centre is in financial crisis, prompting fears it will close. Picture: AAP Image

“I see the Music Vault as a first step,” he said. “You would hope that, over time, it would be a Hall of Fame celebrating the Australian music industry my dad helped to build.”

Barnes said it would be a mistake to close the vault. “You can’t shut down our music history,” Barnes told the Herald Sun. “It underestimates the emotional attachment people have to the arts and music. We need to save and keep our history.”

Linda and Vika Bull also supported moves to keep the vault open. “Our rock and roll industry is something to be celebrated,” Vika Bull told the Herald Sun. “The vault shows where we did our hard yards, and learned how to over loud guitar players, and in smoky environments. Our history is what made us.”