Museum Development Officer Network

This paper was delivered by Dr Dan Robinson, Director, Cultural Heritage, Queensland Museum at the MAQ State Conference, 15-16 September 2001, Cairns

Challenges

Operation of tripartite agreements involving Arts Queensland, The Queensland Museum and the Regional consortium has generated some issues of concern to the Regional consortia. Negotiations, so far not concluded, have been in progress for some time between Arts Queensland and the Queensland Museum, to determine if the Queensland Museum could take over the Arts Queensland part of the program, and reduce the renegotiation of agreements to a two way process.

Differences in local operational arrangements, in areas such as provision of office accommodation and vehicle use for the Museum Resource Centre, have required negotiation of different operating arrangements in each region.

Major capital developments in the community museum area, funded through Centenary of Federation projects such as the 32 Heritage Trails projects in Queensland, will place an added load on MDOs in the regions already served, and will increase the need for MDO services in regions currently missing out.

The large gaps in service, with only about 40% of Local Government areas currently served by an MDO, present perhaps the greatest problem. Negotiations by MDOs to secure expansion in some regions, through adding Local Government or other partners, are showing some promise, but overall this will add only a small number of Shires.