Issue summary

Moonee Valley City Councilis seeking funding support from the Victorian Governmentto enable the upgrade and redevelopment of the Incinerator Gallery in Moonee Ponds into a professionally accredited, first class public art gallery to serve Melbourne’s growing population across the west.

The Incinerator Gallery, located at 180 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, is a significant heritage building with important links to the era of Melbourne’s industrial development. It is the last remaining Walter Burley Griffin designed incinerator left in Victoria and one of only six left in Australia. The Royal College of Architects named it as among the 30 most important buildings in Victoria in 2003. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was listed on the National Heritage Buildings Register until it was disbanded in 2012.

The Incinerator Gallery comprises the incinerator building at the rear, with its original incinerators intact, and the workshop building at the front.

Council has a vision for the facility to be developed into the premiere public art gallery in the west, enabling progressive and high-quality exhibitions and public programs to be accessible to those living in the west and the broader community.

Moonee Valley City Council believes it is time that Melbourne’s west had the same opportunities to see the many touring exhibitions that travel to the eastern suburbs and rural Victoria.

The proposed upgrades and redevelopment include:

  • Showcasing and refurbishing the building’s heritage features and creating internal and external interpretations to support self-guided heritage tours.
  • Constructing a new purpose built gallery that will connect the two buildings, improving visitor experience by allowing all weather access to the galleries.
  • Designing a museum area dedicated to Walter Burley Griffin’s architecture and the history of the building’s intact industrial incinerators.
  • Creating secure collection storage and appropriately equipped community workshop spaces.
  • Improving visitor and staff amenity.
  • Installing universal access facilities.
  • Installing new lighting, climate controls, hanging and display systems as well as other equipment, allowing it to become a professionally accredited public gallery.

This issue has been identified by Moonee Valley City Councilas one of its top 10 priority advocacy issues for the 2015-2016 period.

Outcome sought

Moonee Valley City Councilis seeking support from the Victorian Governmentto:

  1. Support Council and other project partners in the Incinerator Gallery Upgrade Project.
  1. Provide a significant proportion of the $6million required to undertake capital works to transform the existing gallery into a professionally accredited, first class public art gallery capable of attracting touring exhibitions.

Background and justification

Building significance

The Incinerator Gallery in Moonee Ponds occupies one of the most significant heritage buildings in Victoria, which warrants ongoing protection and investment to maintain its structural and operational integrity.The story of the Incinerator highlights a proud moment in Australia’s history, when our country developed an innovative, economical and technologically advanced solution to waste disposal that was envied worldwide.

Essendon City Council commissioned world-renowned architect Walter Burley Griffin and engineering company REICO in 1929 to build a state of the art and world-leading incinerator. They wanted a building to house the furnaces that would burn the city’s waste but not look like an industrial facility.

The new building was lauded for its beauty and effectiveness and used until it was decommissioned in 1942. It was left to deteriorate until 1984, when Essendon City Council reopened the facility as a community theatre before closing again after a few years due to funding issues.In 2004 the site underwent a conservation program and reopened as a multi-arts facility. The venue was renamed the Incinerator Gallery in 2011 with a new focus to establish it as a premier visual arts destination in Melbourne’s west.

Urgent building issues

The Incinerator Gallery is currently experiencing a range of building issues that require urgent attention. These include:

  • Failing substructures that struggle to support the roof of both buildings.
  • Concrete cancer in the rear building, particularly around the north wall and in its foundations.
  • Drainage and mould issues throughout both buildings.
  • Ongoing vermin issues.
  • The roofing throughout the gallery is not weather-proof and leaks.
  • Lack of insulation in both buildings.
  • Poor public amenities that are below Council’s and the community’s acceptable standards.

Vision for the future

It is the vision of Moonee Valley City Councilto protect one of the country’s historically significant buildings. The Incinerator Gallery is a beautiful building with an important place in Australia’s industrial past and has potential to be a shining gem enjoyed by everyone.

The building’s past as an industrial facility makes it unsuitable for use in other capacities, such as a kindergarten or community centre, however it is well-suited to being refurbished into an arts facility.

Council has developed detailed designs, documentation and landscape plans in consultation with Heritage Victoria to ensure the building’s historical significance is retained and showcased. The project is estimated to cost $6 million to implement.

Benefits

The proposed redevelopment of the Incinerator Gallery is expected to deliver a range of significant benefits to the local and wider community. These include:

  • Increased arts programming for Melbourne’s West, including touring exhibitions not normally possible on this side of the city.
  • Increased access to professional workshops and artist spaces.
  • The long-term survival of one of Victoria’s most important heritage buildings.
  • Increased educational opportunities for students from across Melbourne to learn about art and our industrial heritage.
  • Managed storage facilities to properly store the Moonee Valley City Council art collection, ensuring the cultural legacy of these items.

A cost benefit analysis shows quantifiable benefits outweigh costs with a value of between $5.4 and $9.7 million.

An economic impact analysis estimates ongoing yearly post-construction contributions to the local economy would be $0.33million.

MOONEE VALLEY CITY COUNCILCONTACT: NAME NAME

ADVOCACY PRIORITIES 2015-2016 NUMBER