THE Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E) has been allocated $1 million in Ballarat City Council’s draft 2014-15 budget.
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If approved by the council at its June 25 meeting, it would lift M.A.D.E’s local government support by $250,000.
It follows revelations last month that M.A.D.E – which opened last May – had exceeded its annual $750,000 operating budget in its first seven months.
However, at the time, M.A.D.E director Jane Smith said the $750,000 was “interim funding” while a business review was conducted from last July to September.
She said about $1.4 million would be needed for the first few years of the centre’s operation, “in line with some other Ballarat cultural organisations”.
However, the council’s chief executive officer, Anthony Schinck, said on Monday the two organisations were now working together on a $1 million budget.
Mr Schinck said the council acknowledged M.A.D.E’s difficulty with start-up costs and was prepared to give it an extra $250,000.
“We have recognised that is a reality for them but we can’t afford more than $1 million,” Mr Schinck said.
“We’ve been meeting with M.A.D.E really productively to establish what they can do with $1 million,” Mr Schinck said.
In a statement to The Courier, Ms Smith also said on Monday: “The City of Ballarat and M.A.D.E have been working productively to find a good budget outcome. We are close to achieving that.”
fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au