Cr Blain calls for a long-term financial plan for Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum

Cr Ben Blain said the council had no long-term plan on how the maritime museum could be made sustainable.

Cr Blain highlighted the finances of the city's tourism icon during debate about the council's budget on Monday night while pleading the case for a rate freeze this year. The budget was passed in a 5-2 vote.

"I am sure that every Warrnambool ratepayer pays their share of revenue to council now and we should be looking within council to make sure every service council offers is delivering to the highest standards, not just supporting failing business models," he said.

Cr Blain said Flagstaff Hill had a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who work hard to run the facility.

"But currently there is no long-term plan on how it can be made sustainable. More money from ratepayers isn't going to fix this issue. It's council who needs to work with the Warrnambool community and the staff to make a sustainable plan for the future," he said.

"The continued subsidisation of the facility isn't going to fix it. We need to be looking at what can be done better.

"I think council needs to show Warrnambool we have our house in order and have found efficiencies for long-term viability of every service before we are hitting our community for more money."

Cr Blain said in this year's community satisfaction survey, 52 per cent of respondents said they'd prefer service reviews instead of a rates rise.

"It makes me ask the question 'is council really listening?'"

The tourist attraction has consistently been in the spotlight for failing to turn a profit, but council has hinted at a future investment at the site.

Budget figures show an $897,000 loss for Flagstaff Hill and Visitor Information Centre for the next financial year.

The new council's four-year plan will investigate the possibilities and opportunities provided by Flagstaff Hill, but haven't yet detailed what that might look like.

Council's financial planning documents reveal 2026/27 as a year the council was hoping to get grant money for a Flagstaff Hill revamp.

Extra domestics tourism spurred on by closed borders had provided a financial boost to the facility over summer.

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