THE Northern Territory government has announced plans to turn the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) into an independent statutory authority that can attract philanthropic donations.

Chief Minister Adam Giles says the move will allow MAGNT to directly engage with business and the wider community to secure investment and reduce red tape.

Arts Minister Matt Conlon says the MAGNT change will reinvigorate the Territory’s arts and culture sector.

“(It) will open up the institution to philanthropic donations and corporate sponsorship,” he said.

NT Museums and Art Galleries Board chairman Allan Myers, AO, welcomed the change.

“It will enable the new authority to continue to develop and build its collections and programs for the enjoyment of the many thousands of visitors it attract every year.”

Legislation to create the statutory authority should be in place by the end of the year.

The Australian reported that the NT government was also considering opening a new gallery in the Chan Building outside parliament to house MAGNT’s collection of art, with the existing building to be turned exclusively into a natural history space.

[Information from Amos Aikman, ‘Museum and Art Gallery of the NT’s new funding plan’, The Australian, April 16, 2013; Lorraine Davies ‘MAGNT cut loose to explore cultural money trail’, ABC Online, posted April 17 2013]