News
20 March, 2026
Gallery Cash Under Deed Spotlight
As reported in The Southern Wire yesterday (19 March 2026), Wingecarribee Shire Council, by a majority of six votes to two, approved a further five years of funding for the Ngununggula Gallery totalling $2,500,000.
As reported in The Southern Wire yesterday (19 March 2026), Wingecarribee Shire Council, by a majority of six votes to two, approved a further five years of funding for the Ngununggula gallery totalling $2,500,000.
Questions have now emerged about the original funding deed entered into between council and the gallery.
The Southern Wire revealed earlier this week that the gallery recorded a net equity profit of more than $700,000 in the most recent financial year and held more than $2.2 million in cash and term deposits.
The funding deed was executed on 13 January 2023 by general manager Lisa Miscamble on behalf of council. The signing occurred almost three years after the first annual payment was made by council to the gallery on 20 November 2020.
The deed provided for a final payment on 31 July 2024. The administrator Viv May later extended funding, which was further extended by councillors this week.
Clause 4.3 of the deed provides that any “amounts not used”, referred to as “residual amounts”, must be returned to council within thirty days. The deed further provides that this can occur at any time after twelve months from the expiry of the agreement.
Documents viewed by The Southern Wire show the gallery held $1,331,371 in cash-related assets at the end of the 2023 financial year, increasing to $1,480,838 in 2024. As previously reported, this has since grown to more than $2.2 million in the most recent financial year.
Local businessman Barry Anstee says council has an “obligation to enforce the signed funding deed”.
“This is a serious matter which must be addressed by the council and councillors,” he said.
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