Mona museum makes Covid vaccines mandatory for all of their staff

The head of the Mona museum has declared that Covid vaccinations will be mandatory for all of his staff, who can either get the jab or lose their jobs.

The head of the Mona museum has declared that Covid vaccinations will be mandatory for all of his staff, who can either get the jab or lose their jobs.

David Walsh made the “harsh but necessary” announcement in an open letter to staff circulated earlier this morning.

Mr Walsh said he would give staff a “decent interval” to get their vaccinations, and that those who refused could find employment elsewhere.

“A few staff might think we are trampling on their rights, but the one right they think we are restricting doesn’t exist. Our staff don’t have the right to trample on the rights of their colleagues,” Mr Walsh said.

Founder of Mona David Walsh. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Yes, it’s harsh to deprive someone of their livelihood for the good of others. And it’s harsh to deprive someone of their licence for running red lights. Harsh, but necessary,” Mr Walsh said.

Expanding on his traffic light analogy, Mr Walsh said that drivers did not have the right to ignore red lights, and that staff did not have the right to interact with the public unvaccinated.

Mr Walsh said he would like to make vaccinations mandatory for all museum visitors, but that he stopped short for the sake of the children who were not yet eligible for the jab.

Mr Walsh stood by his “harsh” decision, saying that he was doing it for the greater good.

“When you go to work unvaccinated there’s a small chance you’ll get COVID and an even smaller chance you’ll die,” Mr Walsh said.

“But each time you take that risk there is a small chance you’ll kill someone else (it’s multiplicative). That’s not okay.”

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REVEALED: Mona’s new extension plans

THE Museum of Old and New Art has revealed its latest plans for the famous venue, with a new tunnel one of a range of proposed additions put before council.

Mona has lodged plans with Glenorchy City Council for “additions to museum on a heritage listed place”, with designs by Melbourne-based Nonda Katsalidis Architects.

The proposal is for a new tunnel extending from the Berriedale museum all the way to where the Mona ferry arrives and departs, and an extension to the jetty.

Mona has revealed plans for a new tunnel at the famous museum.

It has also proposed a new timber sculpture platform that would be in the vicinity of the Spectra artwork that beams blue light into the sky and is visible across Hobart.

“Everybody knows that [Mona owner] David [Walsh] has a penchant for building tunnels, so he’s digging another,’’ Mona co-chief executive Mark Wilsdon said.

“The development won’t disrupt on site operations, so it’ll be business as usual for the meantime.”

Mona has lodged extension plans with Glenorchy City Council.

Mona was staying more tight-lipped on plans for the platform component of the project.

“It’s a platform for something specific, but I can’t yet say what,” Mona’s director of curatorial affairs Jarrod Rawlins said.

“We hope to share more info soon. As always, we’ll be working closely with Glenorchy City Council as plans progress.”

There is also plans for a new sculpture platform near the existing Spectra artwork.

Mona reopened on Boxing Day last year, following a nine-month closure brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

That followed a partial reopening, of its award-winning bar and restaurant Faro which opened in August last year for a series of lunch and dinner experiences.

Mona has had several significant extensions in recent years, including in December 2017, the $32m extension known as Pharos.

Mona Co-CEO Mark Wilsdon. Source: MONA.

This was followed in June 2019 by the $27m Siloam extension, which features a network of underground tunnels and gallery spaces.

Last year, Moorilla Estate/Mona was listed as a preliminary replacement entry in the Tasmanian Heritage Register as a way of recognising its heritage value “to all Tasmanians”.

Public comment on the current application closes on September 14.

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