Wynyard Watershed facing imminent closure as Big hART funding evaporates

“If this was happening in the corporate world, they would end up in the courts”: A Tasmanian organisation upskilling vulnerable youths say they feel betrayed after being led to believe they had a three-year deal.

Minister Roger Jaensch Picture: Linda Higginson

The co-founder of a powerhouse Tasmanian social change organisation that builds capacity in disadvantaged areas by teaching transferable artistic skills says he has been blindsided by what he labelled a broken funding promise by the state government.

Big hART’s chief executive Scott Rankin, who founded the organisation, which now has a national footprint, in Burnie in 1992, said he was informed last week by Arts Minister Elise Archer its Watershed project at Wynyard would not be funded past October.

Mr Rankin said he had previously been led to believe by Youth Minister Roger Jaensch the project was fully funded for three years at $250,000 per annum, not the one year it ultimately received.

Big hART co-founder and chief executive Scott Rankin. Picture: Supplied

“If this was happening in the corporate world and a business that was delivering for the government was suddenly given three weeks’ notice, they would end up in the courts,” he said.

Mr Rankin said the Watershed had been a runaway success, hosting 360 workshops, talks, performances and events, and welcoming 2600 people and participants into the space.

“We have young people who’ve had no previous employment, very few work skills, being employed and paid and mentored in how to engage economically and socially in the real world,” he said.

Free weekly music sessions at the Watershed, which were held each Tuesday from 12-3pm. Picture: Facebook

“The government says that’s a priority in the North-West and it’s been a remarkably successful model.”

Mr Rankin claimed that Big hART was told at least three times the multi-year funding was guaranteed.

“We would have rejected one-year funding and Roger [Jaensch] knows that. Ethically, we wouldn’t have taken it [and risked] damaging young people,” Mr Rankin said.

“You’ve got to have consistency or you’re going to do harm.

“One thing you’d presume from all the success is that the government would maintain funding to support a three-year pilot.”

Wynyard Multi-Purpose Building, home to Big hART's Watershed and the Wynyard Yacht Club. Picture: Facebook

Mr Rankin said he was “sure” Mr Jaensch would be “very embarrassed,” having made representations to Big hART only to be steamrolled by bean counters within the government.

“We’ve been kept in the dark and a program he chose to fund has now fallen in a heap,” Mr Rankin said.

Mr Rankin said the Watershed faced imminent closure unless alternative sources of funding were found and believed the issue was the result of departmental duckshoving.

In a statement, Ms Archer strongly disputed that a three-year funding deal had ever been discussed.

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“On 27 June 2022, Big hART was advised by letter that they were approved for one-off funding of $250,000 for the 2022–23 financial year, noting that any further requests for funding will be considered in the context of normal budget processes,” she said.

Minister Elise Archer. Question time in the Tasmanian parliament. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“On 8 September 2023, Big hART were advised that they were not successful in the 2023–24 Community Consultation Budget development process.

“Funding was not discontinued. Big hART had been provided with a one-off payment of $250,000, and were unfortunately unsuccessful in their subsequent funding request, as per the independent expert peer assessment process.”

The Watershed's Autumn Seasonal Feast, catered by students from Wynyard High School and featuring a performance by 'Songs in the Key of Pam'. Picture: Facebook

She noted that the state government will provide more than $12m worth of arts and cultural funding in FY 2023–24, and that Big hART is the recipient of a range of funding streams, including federal grant money.

Speaking in the Legislative Council last week, Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest said the decision to not provide the additional funding Big hART believed it was promised was “mystifying and disappointing”.

“The three-year funding has been reneged on,” she said.