'Not just a four year funding fix,' national institutions rejoice in 'funding certainty'

A month out from the federal budget, the Albanese government has delighted the mainly Canberra-based institutions - including the National Library of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia and the Museum of Australian Democracy - in announcing they will collectively get an extra $535 million over the next four years.

The pre-budget commitment also includes guaranteed indexed ongoing annual funding from 2027-28 and a new twice yearly formal process between the institutions and the Arts Minister Tony Burke to work out future funding based on merit.

They are not seeing it as a "four year funding fix".

"At the moment we're all breathing a huge sigh of relief but the minister just said we can be ambitious," the Director-General of the National Library Marie-Louise Ayres told The Canberra Times.

"The most important thing is, it is continuing. So it's ongoing and indexed uplifting to our base appropriation at a level that will allow us to plan our really long term work and not be just lurching from cycle to cycle.

"So the quantum is important. Frankly, the ongoing funding is even more important to us."

The funding is also directed at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Bundanon Trust, National Archives of Australia, National Film and Sound Archive, and the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

It deals with funding not being renewed by the former Coalition government and running out on June 30.

"It is not competent for a government to underfund its national institutions and to have buildings literally falling apart, that are part of our national assets as a nation," the Prime Minister said on Wednesday. The opposition's arts spokesman Paul Fletcher has welcomed the funding and pointed to Coalition capital funding commitments.

The National Library holds a $1.1 billion dollar collection. Its hail damaged roof from 2020 is almost fixed, but Dr Ayres said there are leaks in every window. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is from the 1980s and needs to go.

It will have a shortfall of storage of 18 kilometres in the middle of 2025.

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The new funding and the $33 million lifeline over the next four years for the National Library's beloved free digital platform Trove is more than welcome.

"We're looking forward to being able to rebuild a somewhat larger, not hugely larger but somewhat larger, ongoing staffing base to continue our long term work," Dr Ayres said.

After working at the Library for more than 20 years, she has also described the new formal, merit-based twice yearly process with the Arts Minister over new capital works funding as a "really clear breakthrough."

Anthony Albanese insists the national collecting institutions now have real funding certainty, even though they will have to take part in "future advocacy for full funding".

The buckets being used by the National Gallery of Australia, and the stories describing the state of the building, have been "quite devastating," according to gallery director Nick Mitzevich.

But now there has been this "great result" and the NGA can go from "triage to building and being ambitious."

"Today we got a commitment that they will fix this job and they've got a process to fix it," the director said.

"The minister today outlined a process and a pipeline so we can bring all of the other major issues to bring this building back from the brink and make it fit for purpose over the next 10 years."

The chair of the NGA board Ryan Stokes described the June 30 funding cliff as a real challenge, but now there is a "fundamental shift and change to our operating budget."

"This is a funding solution that the gallery can rely on and not just a four year funding fix. There's been a critical change," Mr Stokes told The Canberra Times.

For the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, it is welcome news after the devastating 2021 protest fire and the impact of Covid shutdowns.

"Poor MOAD. It has been a difficult time, the last three years in particular," director Stephanie Bull said.

"The fire had a huge impact on the team and I think really caused big issues for all Australians because they love that building."

The well known doors of the heritage building have only just been reopened and now the museum wants to enhance the experience and make the stair entrance accessible to everyone.

Independent ACT Senator David Pocock has welcomed the funding but flagged he will examine the adequacy of the new commitment at a Senate committee hearing next week. It is something Mr Fletcher said the Coalition wants to do as well.

"I want to better understand whether the commitment announced today will be sufficient to cover the building repairs and other capital works needed at each of the institutions," Senator Pocock said in a statement.

"I also question whether maintaining the efficiency dividend is appropriate for the cultural institutions, given how destructive it has been on their budgets over the past decade."