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MPavilion’s future debated

MPavilion’s future debated

By Niccola Anthony

Melbourne councillors have upheld a proposal to provide a further two years’ funding to MPavilion, despite some contentious debate.

Located in Southbank’s Queen Victoria Gardens, this public art installation forms part of an ongoing series of architecture commissions, and will now continue to receive council funding until 2022.

However, four councillors chose to vote against the proposal to extend council’s funding of the grant past its original 2020 deadline.

Crs Nic Frances Gilly, Beverly Pinder, Susan Riley and Arron Wood all opposed the motion, largely on the basis that the revenue spent on the installation could be better used elsewhere.

The council provides around $300,000 per year towards the project, with total council expenditure on the series expected to reach $3.5 million by 2022.

“I think we just need to be mindful that, yes, it has delivered a lot for Melbourne but $3.5 million is a very large sum of ratepayer money to be going to an activity like this, no matter how much its delivering,” Cr Wood argued at the council meeting of July 31.

Concurring with Cr Wood was Cr Pinder who argued: “I can come up with a zillion ways in which the city can spend $300,000 far more effectively, given that this program has had its run.”

While the councillors who voted in favour of the proposal were sympathetic to the arguments of the opposing councillors, the project’s unique ability to bring people together tilted the vote in its favour.

“One of the great things about the MPavilion is that it’s providing a space, that is free essentially, for community organisations, start-ups, university students and their like,” Cr Cathy Oke argued in the project’s favour.

“The MPavilion has provided, for quite a few years now, the opportunity for people looking for a space to talk about what they’re wanting to talk about that they’re not able to do elsewhere.”

Additionally, Cr Oke argued that the projected $3.5 million sum required to see the project through to 2022 should be taken into consideration alongside other projects of a similar expense.

“When we’re looking at that sum of money, we’re making that assessment against other large sums of money that we provide to events that don’t have anywhere near the same alignment with council goals and values and what we’re hoping to provide the community,” Cr Oke said.

The MPavilion was initiated in 2014 by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and serves as a civic space for community groups to engage and share with one another.

The 2018 model (pictured) was designed by Barcelona-based architect Carme Pinós and will be on display from October until February 2019.

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