Policies adopted to manage public art

With more than 200 public art works across Baw Baw and a collection of 122 civic art works, new policies about how to look after these and the future direction of the assets, have been developed.

The refreshed Public Art Policy and a new Civic Art Collection Policy aim to ensure the shire's art collections remain high quality, are well maintained, and reflect the region's people, history, and evolving identity.

Following feedback received during the community consultation period, a change of terminology was made, with 'First Nations peoples' being changed, on request, to 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.'

"In the current political climate, the Kurnai are continuing to address many inconsistencies and falsehoods created through societal institutions.

Firstly, we recognise ourselves as Aboriginal Australians, not 'First Peoples' or 'First Nations'. These are Northern Hemisphere and United Nations terms and are not reflective of Australian history or Kurnai cultural identity," submitted one community member.

The shire's art collection features contributions from local, national, and international artists, and celebrates the region's rich heritage, cultural diversity, and pride in place.

Cr Brendan Kingwill said when people thought about council assets they thought about roads, footpaths, buildings and sporting facilities - "but an important part of what makes our community feel like home is our arts, our public works.

It helps us tell a story and reflect on who we are, the characters of our place, of where we live and where we work."

"Public art can speak; spark conversations, celebrate history and sometimes simply put a smile on someone's face, as they walk through our town," he said.