Cabonne Shire Councillors have voted unanimously not to proceed with an agreement which would have seen a transfer of ownership of Canowindra’s 370 million-year-old fish fossil slabs to the Australian Museum.
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After considerable discussion at its meeting on March 27 Cabonne councillors agreed unanimously that Council should not proceed with a Deed of Gift with the museum.
Councillors rejected the proposal “as the Australian Museum’s intentions for the future of the collection are unclear”.
At last week’s meeting Councillors expressed concern regarding two particular points in the proposal.
One of the points made reference to other suitable storage locations for the “national treasure”.
Councillors also expressed concern regarding a statement that the Australian Museum may suspend or terminate the permanent loan arrangement where the Collection is being treated in a way that endangers the condition, security or its integrity or where the Council is suspended, amalgamated or otherwise ceases to exist.
“Council may wish to seek clarification on each of these points, and in particular, request an explanation of what is meant by other suitable storage locations in the region as well as definition of treatment that endangers the condition, security or integrity of the collection to ensure there is a strict set of guidelines to which each party must comply,” Council general manager Stephen Harding said in a report to the meeting.
The proposed Deed of Gift came about following a meeting with the then Deputy Premier and Cabonne representatives in 2015.
Following several years of negotiations the Australian Museum had referred the deed documents to the Crown Solicitor for advice.
It was this advice to the Museum which prompted Cabonne to withdraw from the deal.
The Crown Solicitor, Mr Harding reported, recommended the two parties “sign a simplified Deed of Gift donating the collection to the Australian Museum Trust and the Australian Museum then provides the Collection under a standard permanent loan agreement”.
The primary benefit to Cabonne from the Deed would have been, Mr Harding said, the registration and digitising of the fossil slabs in accordance with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
Tender for storage facility
In other Age of Fishes news, Cabonne Shire Council, also at its meeting last week, has accepted a tender from Renascent Regional Pty Ltd to construct the Age of Fishes Museum Fossil Storage Facility at Canowindra at the tendered price of $465,314.
