Arts board petition lost

Bunbury Regional Arts Management Board chairwoman Beth Ferguson says the Bunbury City Council has lost its petition with more than 150 signatures.

Ms Ferguson said the petition called on the council to reverse its decision to take control of the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries and cut funding to the independent board.

She says the petition was hand delivered to the council’s office last Tuesday, addressed to Cr Karen Steele, who was supposed to present it at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

However, Cr Steele did not receive the petition and it cannot be found.

Ms Ferguson fears the loss of the petition means the issue will be delayed and the board will have to leave the galleries by June 30.

“It is a bureaucratic nightmare, ” she said.

Yesterday, Mayor Gary Brennan said: “Correspondence specifically addressed to members of council is not opened by staff. There was no petition presented to the council meeting conducted on May 27.”

In February the council voted to take control of the galleries and its $3 million art collection.