Museum vows 'to fight on' after eviction date set

VOLUNTEERS at the Milne Bay Military Museum have vowed to “fight to the end” after Defence Minister Marise Payne gave the organisation an eviction date.

SUPPORTERS SIGN: Milne Bay Military Museum president Marian Jones with many signatures to save the museum. Thursday, 5th Jul, 2018. Picture: Nev Madsen

VOLUNTEERS at the Milne Bay Military Museum have vowed to "fight to the end" after Defence Minister Marise Payne gave the organisation a September 28 eviction date.

Despite well-publicised support for the museum, which has so far accumulated 16,000 signatures on a petition to have the Department of Defence gift the museum and land to the community, the Federal Defence Minister wrote to the committee late on Tuesday afternoon to say their time was up.

The army has offered the possibility of monetary support to help the museum move its items to another location.

But after a meeting on Wednesday evening, the committee has decided to soldier on.

They want the museum to remain at its corner on Anzac Ave and O'Quinn St, as it has done since 1989.

"I've rung (Groom MP) John McVeigh's office to ask for an appointment to see him to see if he will present the petition (to parliament)," committee president Marian Jones said.

"We're not going to go down. We are willing to fight this battle.

"The committee feel they should fight this eviction right to the end, and that they should do this for the men of Milne Bay."

Since April, the museum as amassed 16,000 signatures calling for the Department of Defence to donate the land and museum to Toowoomba Regional Council.

"If the constituents of Groom hadn't spoken, we would have left it. But with over 16,000 signatures, the committee felt we must battle on and we must have this petition presented," Mrs Jones said.

That petition has another two weeks to run.

The museum and its committee have been in limbo since its November 2016 closure over Workplace Health and Safety issues and missing WWI and WWII firearms.

What was initially meant to be a six-week closure became indefinite after the department reportedly told the committee it wanted its land back, as the museum was a public organisation, not a defence museum.

Those wanting to sign the petition can do so at Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki's office at 566 Ruthven St, Toowoomba.

Minister Payne's office was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.

Originally published as Museum vows 'to fight on' after eviction date set