Chris Oldfield, Naracoorte Community News

SA taxpayers, not ratepayers, will fund a 30 per cent budget blow-out for a mural on the back of the new Naracoorte Public Library facing Ormerod St.

Cr Peter Ireland said the mural looked “fantastic” but questioned “why” there was a budget blow-out?

The issue arose at the new council’s first meeting on November 30.

In a written report to council, arts and cultural facilitator Jessie Lumb highlighted a $10,000 budget for the mural.

Those funds came from a taxpayer-funded grant in the 2021-22 Budget for Wellbeing.

Ms Lumb said the council’s wellbeing program was established in March 2021 “to support the physical and mental wellbeing of our community through the implementation of a range of wellbeing initiatives”.

“One of the target audiences for the program is culturally and linguistically diverse communities,” she wrote, highlighting an “identified project” was to engage that group with a mural in the CBD.

She said murals helped establish “a sense of place within a town” and “opportunities for civic dialogue”.

“The project was made in consultation with Colombian artist Katherine Gailer and multicultural women from the Circle of Volunteers group who meet regularly at the library,” Ms Lumb said.

“Katherine conducted a workshop in October via Zoom with ladies from many cultural backgrounds which included Afghan, Laotian, Chinese and Filipino.”

She said the Circle of Volunteers members “and the wider community” were invited to help with the painting in two sessions.

“The final design honours the idea of Naracoorte as a ‘meeting place’. It depicts a culturally diverse woman surrounded by vibrant textiles that symbolise this ongoing weaving of different cultural perspectives and ideas,” Ms Lumb said.

“Native Australian flora are also included to represent the connection and respect to the place that the community inhabits.

“The red ‘map trails’ painted on the woman’s skin symbolise the long journeys that people have taken to settle in Naracoorte, a place that aims to welcome the many walks of life, empower women and embrace cultural diversity.”

Cr Monique Crossling repeated parts of Ms Lumb’s written report, then said: “I have not received any negative feedback.

“Everyone loves the new addition to one of our main streets.”

Mayor Patrick Ross mentioned the budget, described the mural as “fantastic” and said it helped highlight the word “welcome” to the left of it, which was “not quite so bright”.

Cr Ireland asked CEO Trevor Smart “who had set the budget” for the wellbeing program as the mural had ended up costing $13,000, not $10,000?

Mr Smart said funding came from the State Government’s Wellbeing SA program as a pilot project – the council was one of two in the State to receive the funding.

He said staff met regularly with Wellbeing SA which approved various projects and budgets.

“It’s fully funded by the State Government – no council funding goes to the wellbeing program,” Mr Smart said.

Cr Ireland: “Regardless of the origin of the funding, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking anything away from the mural, it looks fantastic, so don’t take it the wrong way.

“I just wondered how the budget blow-out happened actually.”

Mr Smart: “I’m not sure if it’s a budget blow-out.”

Cr Ireland: “It’s (a) 30 per cent increase.”

Mr Ross: “The final budget looks like it was $13,000 and it was funded at $10,000.”

Cr Crossling defended the blowout and suggested the anti-graffiti treatment might have increased the final cost.

Despite it being taxpayer funded via Wellbeing SA, not ratepayer funded, Cr Ireland confirmed he wanted to know why there was a blow-out.

Mr Smart said he would “take the question on notice”.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.