2014-15 Annual Report

Article | Updated 8 years ago

Western Australian Museum Annual Report 2014-15

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Museum Locations

Western Australian Museum – Albany. Residency Road, Albany.

Western Australian Museum – Geraldton. 1 Museum Place, Batavia Coast Marina, Geraldton.

Western Australian Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder. 17 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie.

Western Australian Maritime Museum. Victoria Quay, Fremantle.

Western Australian Museum – Perth. Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth.

Western Australian Museum – Shipwreck Galleries. Cliff Street, Fremantle.

Western Australian Museum – Collections and Research Centre. 49 Kew Street, Welshpool.

Western Australian Museum – Administration. ‘Wellington Building’, 150 William Street, Perth.

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About This Report

The Western Australian Museum’s 2014–15 Annual Report is a review of the Museum’s performance for the financial year ending 30 June 2015.

The report is produced in accordance with the provisions of the Museums Act 1969 (WA) and other relevant legislation that governs Museum operations. It is provided to the Minister for Culture and the Arts, the Hon. John Day MLA, as the State Minister responsible for the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, within which the Western Australian Museum operates as a statutory authority.

It is tabled in the Parliament of Western Australia in accordance with the Financial Management Act 2006.

The object of this report is to ensure financial and performance accountability to the Western Australian Parliament, and to provide audiences, customers and stakeholders with a greater understanding of the Museum’s functions and operations.

This and previous annual reports are available in both PDF and accessible formats on the Western Australian Museum’s website at: museum.wa.gov.au/about/corporate-documents

Copies are archived in the State Library of Western Australia, the National Library Canberra and the Western Australian Museum Library located at Kew Street, Welshpool.

For enquiries, comments or more information about the Museum please contact our Customer Relations Team on 1300 134 081 or email: reception@museum.wa.gov.au

Statement of Compliance

For the year ended 30 June 2015

Hon. John Day, MLA
Minister for Culture and the Arts

In accordance with section 63 of the Financial Management Act 2006, we hereby submit for your information and presentation to Parliament, the Annual Report of the Western Australian Museum for the financial year ended 30 June 2015.

The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006.

A. Robson
Chair, the Western Australian Museum Board of Trustees
Chairman of Accountable Authority
24 August 2015

S. Scudamore
Member, Western Australian Board of Trustees
Member of Accountable Authority
24 August 2015

Message from the Chair

‘Extraordinary’ is an over-used adjective, however, it really has been an extraordinary year in the history of the Western Australian Museum. The Museum is changing, outside and in, to meet the needs of its 21st Century audiences. The robust framework being applied to support this significant change will ensure the Museum remains relevant and accessible, and firmly at the heart of its community for generations to come.

The progress being made on the development of a New Museum for Western Australia is gratifying. Soon, three world-class consortia will be working on proposals to design and construct new premises in the Perth Cultural Centre. In the meantime, conservation work has been progressing on the Museum’s heritage listed buildings that will be incorporated into the new design.

The Museum’s Collections and Research Centre in Welshpool is also being improved as part of the project with the construction of a new wet store, laboratories and preparation spaces.

The State Government’s unwavering commitment to the $428.3 million project has also been a catalyst for the Museum to renegotiate its relationship with Western Australians and the world. The Museum is changing not only the fabric of its buildings but also its practices, embracing a ‘People First’ approach in its bid to create a worldclass museum experience that will inspire people to explore and share their identity and sense of place, now and beyond ‘doors opening’ of the New Museum in 2020.

I continue to be delighted by the vibrancy of the Museum’s public programs and the strong collaborative relationships that produce excellent exhibitions, often based on content created collaboratively with local people, communities and partner organisations. This approach has been particularly important this year as we have made such a major contribution to the Centenary of Service commemorations.

I am especially pleased with the rigor of the research conducted that contributes to the knowledge and understanding of our State, such as the recent highly successful expedition to the wreck sites of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran. Similarly, in early 2015, a WA museum scientist and colleagues from the USA described only the third known seadragon species in the world from a specimen in the WA Museum, originally collected in 2007. This discovery highlights the international reputation of the WA Museum and its scientists. Subsequently, re-examination of another specimen in Museum’s collection that had washed up on Cottesloe Beach in 1919, proved that the species had long been an inhabitant of our coast, and demonstrated the power and potential of museum collections, both past and present.

I am now in my fourth year as Chair of the Board of Trustees and I have never been more impressed with the commitment of the Museum and its people to deliver unparalleled access to the extraordinary stories of our State, especially during an extended period of fundamental change and in the context of a constantly challenging budget environment: the significant capital sum allocated to the New Museum project has contrasted with the recurrent budget uncertainty that the Trustees and Executive Team have had to wrestle with over recent years.

Despite these challenges, the Museum has been tireless in its pursuit of increased community engagement, organisational improvement, effective governance and sound business management.

I would like to thank my Board colleagues and our staff for their commitment, and look forward to another exciting year ahead. I thank the Museum’s Chief Executive Officer Alec Coles for his continued and outstanding leadership during this period of extraordinary challenge and change. I would also like to thank the Museum’s many sponsors, benefactors and partners for their generosity and support, now and into the future.

In closing, I would especially like to acknowledge the unshakeable support of the Minister for Culture and the Arts, the Hon John Day MLA, for the Museum and all we aspire to achieve; my sincere thanks on behalf of all of us at the Western Australian Museum.

Emeritus Professor
Alan Robson AO CitWA
Chair, Board of Trustees
Western Australian Museum

Message from the CEO

The Western Australian Museum aspires to be many things to many people: a museum owned, valued and used by all West Australians and admired by the world; a place that captures the spirit of Western Australia; a museum fit for 2050 and beyond; a museum that fulfils its mission to ‘inspire people to explore and share their identity, culture, environment and sense of place, and contribute to the diversity and creativity of our world’.

In order to achieve these ambitions and realise the potential of the New Museum in terms of design, content, operation and user engagement, the Museum will need to be innovative, daring and visionary. It cannot be the ‘old’ Museum re-created in a shiny new building where visitors’ experiences are restricted to content created only by the Museum and its staff.

That is why the Museum is making fundamental changes to the way it operates. In the past 12 months we have taken significant steps towards better understanding our audiences and stakeholders, and responding to their needs: particularly their desire to take a more active part in generating their own content. Critical to this change has been the increasing commitment to working with partners. At the forefront of this has been the Museum’s contribution to the development of the National Anzac Centre in Albany. Working closely with other parts of Government, but also with the City of Albany, the Returned and Services League, and the Federal Government’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs, we have co-curated breathtakingly powerful content that has not only been named by Lonely Planet as one of the ‘must-see’ developments in the world this year but, more importantly, befits the memory of the many men and women who left Albany on that fateful day of 1 November, 1914.

Another creative partnership that came to fruition this year was with Broome Aboriginal group Nyamba Buru Yawuru to develop the Lustre: Pearling & Australia exhibition at the WA Maritime Museum. The Yawuru people brokered relationships with other Aboriginal groups, including the Karajarri, Bardi Jawi and Myala people and the result is an excellent example of the role of museums in empowering people to share their own, personal stories.

In all that we do, authenticity is the key. For the Museum, this means real collections of real objects and real stories told by real people. A potent example of the power of objects is the asylum-seeker boat that arrived in Geraldton, from Sri Lanka, in 2013 and was donated to the Museum by the Australian Government last year. The Museum’s acquisition created a good deal of debate with voices raised in support, and against, the acquisition. I, however, have no doubt that this is a significant item that not only speaks to WA’s long relationship with the Indian Ocean, or the political preoccupation of Australia in the early 21st Century, but above all will help people understand the lives, the motivations and the plight of the people who risked their lives on that vessel.

Parallel to its significant journey of change the Museum has, this year, initiated and delivered a wide range of public programs and exhibitions and carried out significant scientific, cultural and historical research.

As we continue to prepare for our future, we are reconnecting with our audiences. We truly believe that we have the potential to touch the lives of every Western Australian and to create a museum that sits at the heart of its State and reflects the spirit of its people.

I sincerely thank the Board of Trustees of the Western Australian Museum for its continued support during this time of extraordinary change. In particular, I thank the Chair of the Trustees, Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA. I know that I am fortunate, indeed, to work with a Chair of such stature, commitment and wisdom.

I would also like to make mention of the generous support received this year from our Western Australian Museum Foundation and its Chair Justin Mannolini. Amongst its many achievements this year, the Foundation raised essential funding for the very successful Sydney Kormoran expedition.

I would like to thank our volunteers, our Museum Friends and all our supporters, individual and corporate, public and private, without whom we could not hope to realise our ambitions.

Finally, I would like to thank our dedicated staff for embracing the challenges and opportunities that come with such significant change, and for constantly demonstrating their determination and commitment at this time of significant challenge and unparalleled opportunity.

Alec Coles OBE
Chief Executive Officer
Western Australian Museum

Highlights

New Museum: Design Underway

This year saw the most significant step towards achieving a New Museum for Western Australia, since funding for the project was announced by the State Government in 2012. This was the release, to the market, of the Expression of Interest for a Managing Contractor team to design and construct the new building at the Perth site.

The three world-class consortia short-listed from this process have extensive experience in the cultural sector and have been invited to submit a detailed submission in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP). They are:

• Brookfield Multiplex, leading a team that includes international design firm OMA and local architects HASSELL. OMA is responsible for such projects as the Musée National Des Beaux Arts in Quebec.
• John Holland, leading a team that includes international design firm Foster + Partners and local architects Hames Sharley. Foster + Partners is responsible for such projects as the British Museum’s Great Court.
• Doric Group and Técnicas Reunidas, leading a team that includes international design firm Ateliers Jean Nouvel and local architects Cameron Chisholm Nicol, and Parry & Rosenthal Architects. Ateliers Jean Nouvel is responsible for such projects as the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.

The calibre of the shortlisted respondents is impressive. Each includes a world-class contractor, an internationally renowned architectural practice that has won the prestigious Pritzker Architectural Prize, allianced with a top-class Australian practice.

The consortia will now work with Government on design proposals for the New Museum. More information regarding progress on the New Museum Project can be found at: museum.wa.gov.au/community/content/newmuseum- project

The Minister’s full statement on the RFP can be found at: www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/pages/ StatementDetails.aspx?listName=StatementsB arnett&StatId=9607

HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran Revisited

One of the Museum’s most significant achievements this year was the very successful expedition to reinvestigate the World War II wrecks of HMAS Sydney (II) and her nemesis, the German raider HSK Kormoran. Both ships sank off the WA coast during a fierce battle on 19 November 1941 but their wrecks were not discovered until 2008. Sydney was lost with all 645 hands, an event which is still, to this day, Australia’s greatest naval tragedy. Because of their immense historic value the wrecks sites are heritage listed, but they are completely inaccessible being 200km out to sea, and 2,500m underwater. The Museum’s Chief Executive Officer is the delegated management authority for the sites and as such, the Museum has a public duty to protect, manage and interpret the sites for the benefit of the public, now and for future generations.

The hugely successful expedition to reinvestigate and reimage the wreck sites for the first time since their discovery was a joint project between the Museum, Curtin University which developed the imaging technology, and DOF Subsea which provided the support vessel and underwater remotely operated vehicles and expertise to fly them. Significant funding was provided by the Federal Government through the Your Community Heritage grant scheme, whilst generous contributions were made by GMA Garnet, Curtin University and the WA Museum Foundation. Additional cash contributions, or assistance in kind, were provided by dozens of companies, organisations and individuals.

The expedition produced an incredible array of digital resources including more than 700,000 high resolution still photographs, 200 hours of HD video and a suite of electromagnetic scans of the site. This data is being processed by colleagues at Curtin University and will eventually allow the Museum to display full, virtual, 3D models of the two wreck sites. In addition, the findings will inform the development of a heritage management plan for the overall site.

It will also help researchers begin to answer a number of outstanding questions about the battle between the two ships and its catastrophic outcome. One of the most controversial — how Sydney was so comprehensively disabled so quickly — appears to have been confirmed through photographic evidence obtained from this expedition. German survivor accounts say one of the first salvos fired at Sydney destroyed her bridge, effectively disabling her command and control systems within the opening minutes of the battle. The expedition found a 15cm shell hole through the bridge at the compass platform, providing evidence that supports the German accounts.

It is the intention that the digital resources generated by the expedition will be used to create visitor experiences in several of our sites, but specifically in the WA Museum — Geraldton. The importance of this expedition has also been recognised by the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Australian War Memorial both of which have independently expressed strong interest in acquiring the new digital imagery.

The expedition also had the support of the Returned and Services League, the Naval Association and the families of those who were lost on the Sydney, as well as those from the Kormoran.

Here are some of their comments: Please pass on my families congratulations to all involved. The results are amazing. ‘I am certain the crew were looking down on them and very glad that they were able to share their story.

Well done to all those involved.

The work that has been done documents so well the devastation the crews of both vessels experienced that fateful day and will provide a thought provoking memorial to the men who lost their lives in the action.

Yes the expedition has completed a magnificent survey the images are really something. The shell hole and the unexploded mine it’s all so clear.

Congratulations to all the team involved, the quality is incredible, though the images are haunting too.

National ANZAC Centre

The Western Australian Museum was instrumental in the establishment, design and development of the National Anzac Centre which opened in Albany this year, as part of the commemorations to mark the departure of the Anzac Convoys in 1914.

The Centre is the result of a cross-government partnership, with the Museum’s contribution including CEO Alec Coles serving on the implementation committee chaired by Richard Muirhead on behalf of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

The Museum was proud to lead and coordinate the content development and design of the Centre. The Centre has been an unqualified success with visitor figures much higher than anticipated and excellent visitor comments.

The Centenary of Service commemorative calendar is an important milestone in Australia’s cultural history and the National Anzac Centre, which opened on time and on budget and to wonderful public accolades, is a fitting tribute to the more than 41,000 men and women who left these shores to fight for King and Country.

Awards and Honours

• The Western Australian Museum this year won both the State and Australian Web Awards Best Government and Best Mobile categories, as well being awarded the overall prize at the national awards ceremony in November 2014 — the prestigious McFarlane Prize for most outstanding website. The awards champion web standards, acknowledging excellence at the highest level.

• Dr Amber Beavis, working with the Museum’s Terrestrial Zoology department, won two science awards during the year. Dr Beavis was one of five winners of the national Top 5 Under 40 science voices, a competition hosted by The University of New South Wales and ABC Radio National aimed at discovering and encouraging the next generation of Australian science communicators. Dr Beavis also won the WA State final of FameLab 2015 — a prestigious international science communication competition. Dr Beavis was also accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

• Chairman of the WA Museum’s Board of Trustees, Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA, was inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame. Professor Robson is one of Australia’s leading science educators and a long standing supporter of the Museum.

• Volunteer Noah Ryan — WA’s Fundraising Institute of Australia’s Volunteer of the Year 2015. The award acknowledges the significant and valuable contribution to the fundraising profession made by volunteers. Noah was nominated by the Western Australian Museum Foundation for his dedication and enthusiasm. Noah has lived with muscular dystrophy since the age of four. He remains a valued member of the Museum’s volunteer team.

• Dr Zoe Richards, an internationally recognised coral expert working with the Museum’s Aquatic Zoology department, received the Isobel Bennett Marine Biology Fellowship to undertake surveys at Lizard Island to monitor the recovery of the reef following Cyclone Ita.

• The Maritime Museum, Shipwreck Galleries and Museum sites in Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and Albany were all awarded Certificates of Excellence by TripAdvisor this year. Such awards are given to organisations that maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews, and have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Popularity rankings are also factored in.

Operational Structure

Who We Are

The Western Australian Museum first opened its doors to enquiring minds in 1891, and for more than 120 years it has played a pivotal role in discovering and sharing millions of extraordinary stories about this amazing State.

We remain committed to providing the best possible service to all of our customers at every level, and at every point of contact.

Our Mission

To inspire people to explore and share their identity, culture, environment and sense of place, and contribute to the diversity and creativity of our world.

Our Vision

To be an excellent and vibrant Museum service valued and used by all Western Australians and admired and visited by the world. 

Our Values

We are dedicated to community value, which means we will be:

Accountable

We exist for the benefit of all the people of Western Australia and recognise that we are accountable to them and are custodians of their collections.

Inspirational, Inclusive and Accessible

We will inspire people to explore our world and will advance knowledge through study, research and life-long learning; making sure that our facilities, programs and resources are accessible to all.

Enterprising and Excellent

We will be creative, resourceful, imaginative, innovative and entrepreneurial; we will be commercially astute and aspire to excellence in all that we do.

Sustainable

We will aspire to be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable and we will work in partnership with others to maximise public benefit and value for money.

And we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the First Peoples of Australia

We acknowledge the primary rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their cultural heritage and will work collaboratively to advance understanding between all peoples.

Responsible Minister and Legislation

Responsible Minister

The Hon John Day MLA is the Minister responsible for the Culture and the Arts portfolio.

The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio.

Enabling Legislation

• Museum Act 1969 (WA)

Legislation and Regulations Administered by the Museum

• Museum Regulations 1973 (WA)
• Maritime Archaeology Act 1973 (WA)
• Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 (Commonwealth); sections 10 (1), 11 (1), and 15 are administered by the Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australian Museum, as Delegate in Western Australia for the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment.

Western Australian Museum Functional Structure

Museum Operational Structure

New Museum Project

Trish McDonald

• Liaison with Strategic Projects and Department of Culture and the Arts.
• Museum requirements — definition and monitoring.
• Content development and implementation.
• Post-opening operational planning and transition management.

Perth Museum and Collections

Diana Jones

• Perth — site management, visitor services, programming.
• Welshpool — site and collection management, volunteers.
• Natural and Earth Sciences — research, content development.
• Anthropology, archaeology, history — research, content development.

Fremantle Museums and Collections

Dr Ian MacLeod

• Maritime Museum and Shipwreck Galleries — site management, visitor services, planning, volunteers.
• Maritime heritage collections — research, content development.
• Conservation science and services.

Creative and Regional Development

James Dexter

• Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie-Boulder — site management, visitor services, programming, and Perth — site volunteers.
• Exhibition and design, Learning and creativity.
• Regional and outreach activities.

Finance and Business Development

Jason Fair

• Financial management.
• Strategic asset planning and facilities management.
• Information and communications technology and online development.
• Commercial activity — retail, publishing, venue hire, licensing.

Organisational Development

Robin Ho

• Strategic planning, performance, policy, governance, legal.
• Human resource management and workforce development.
• Risk, Operational Health and Safety, records management and audit.
• Communications, media, marketing and audience research.

Museum Foundation

Heiko Plange

• Endowment development and trusts.
• Sponsorship, strategic and project fundraising.
• Patrons, donor and legacy relationship management.
• Friends of the Western Australian Museum.

Performance Management Framework

Outcome Based Management Framework

Outcome 1: Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections are preserved, accessible and sustainable

Key Effectiveness Indicators

Preservation

Extent to which Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections, that require preservation, are preserved.

Accessibility

1. The number of accesses to Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections per capita.
2. Percentage of clients satisfied with the services associated with accessing Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections.

Sustainability

Value of collection renewal, content development, expansion and/or maintaining the physical integrity of the collection as a proportion of collection value.

Service 6: Museum Services

Key Effectiveness Indicators

Average cost of Museum Services per Museum Access.

Report on Operations Section

Financial Overview

The Western Australian Museum receives revenue from a variety of sources as mandated by the Museums Act 1969 (WA). The State Government provides the majority of revenue as an appropriation to fund services. In addition, the Museum receives grants, sponsorships, donations and bequests which fund a variety of activities, including the majority of the Museum’s science and research activities. Much of this revenue is restricted to specific purposes, such as funding for the Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008–15, which aims to learn more about the biogeographic distribution of marine life throughout this expansive region and which has resulted in the description of more than 1,000 new species. The Museum also generates a proportion of its own revenue through paid exhibitions and commercial activities including venue hire and retail sales.

Total revenue of more than $36.8 million was received in 2014–15, of which $9.8 million was generated by the Museum from commercial activity, and from public, private and charitable sources — a decrease on last year’s figure of $11.1 million.

Performance Overview

External budgetry factors and recruitment restrictions combined with the Museum’s requirement to reduce long standing leave liability have resulted in significant periods of reduced staffing levels across the organisation during the 2014–15 reporting year. This has impacted across a range of areas of the Agency’s performance this financial year.

Actual Results Versus Budget Targets

	Target(a) 2014-15 $000	Actual 2014-15 $000	Variation(b) $000
Total cost of services (expense limit) (sourced from Statement of Comprehensive Income)	34,207	34,582	375
Net cost of services (sourced from Statement of Comprehensive Income)	26,487	24,808	-1,679
Total equity (sourced from Statement of Financial Position)	483,438	481,713	-1,725
Net increase/(decrease) in cash held (sourced from Statement of Cash Flows)	111	578	467
Approved full time equivalent (FTE) staff level	212	210.61	-1.39

(a) As specified in the revised Budget Statements. (b) Further explanations are contained in Note 37 'Explanatory statement' to the financial statements.

Summary of Key Performance Indicators

The total number of accesses recorded here is the total number of visitors to Museum sites (951,484) and the total number of unique visitors to the Museum’s website museum. wa.gov.au (903,382). This does not include visits to Western Australian Museum YouTube, Facebook or third party websites. The shortfall in the number of accesses recorded as a Key Effectiveness Indicator Accessibility is due entirely to a decrease in web accesses: person visits to Museum sites actually increased.

The decrease in web accesses for 2014–15 relates to the lesser requirement for online ticket sales compared to the year before. The Museum has dispensed with outsourcing its ticketing functions and sells exhibition tickets direct through its website. This explains the ‘spike’ in the website visitation numbers for 2013–14 due to increased enquiries and ticket purchases for the Museum’s extremely popular Dinosaur Discovery exhibition, and the consequent reduction this year. Overall web visitation will continue to fluctuate in accordance with this factor.

The variance in the target and actual figure for Key Effectiveness Indicator Sustainability for 2014–15 is due to the target being set prior to results of 2013–14 Collection valuation being known. There was a significant downward adjustment in the value of the Collection last year; this, combined with an increase in the 5-year rolling average income from State Government has resulted in an increase in the percentage of the Collection value which is spent on Collection renewal and content development.

For the Key Efficiency Indicator Average cost of Museum services per Museum visitor or person accessing the Collection, the Actual cost of services per visitor is $36, with Actual visitation being 951,484. The Target cost of services per visitor was $35 per visitor, with a lower Target visitation of 895,888.

Outcome 1

Western Australia’s natural, cultural and documentary collections are preserved, accessible and sustainable.

		Target	Actual	Variation
Key Effectiveness Indicator: Preservation Extent to which Western Australia's natural, cultural and documentary collections, that require preservation, are preserved.		99.60%	97.80%	-1.80%
Key Effectiveness Indicator: Accessibility The number of accesses to Western Australia's natural, cultural and documentary collections per capita.	Number of accesses ------------ Accesses per capita	2,545,888 ------------ 1.0	1,854,866 ------------ 0.7	-27% ------------ -30%
Percentage of clients satisfied with the services associated with accessing Western Australia's natural, cultural and documentary collections		97%	95%	-2%
Key Effectiveness Indicator: Sustainability Value of the State Collection renewal, content development and/or expansion as a proportion of collection value.		3.81%	7.09%	+3.28%
Key Effeciency Indicator Average cost of museum services per museum visitor or person accessing the Collection.		$35	$36	+2.86%

Performance Against Strategic Plan

The Western Australian Museum’s reporting on its performance over the past financial year is presented against the Organisational Priorities outlined in the new 2014–25 Strategic Plan which can be found at: museum.wa.gov.au/about/corporatedocuments

Sustainable Growth

Creating an organisation for the future ensuring environmental, financial and social sustainability, and succession planning in our workforce.

Social Sustainability: The Museum Brand

The Museum is developing a brand which reflects the significant change occurring within the organisation. Its purpose is to position the Museum at the heart of its State and reflect the spirit of its people, taking account of its wide range of activity, regional, national and international reach, and the development of the New Museum in the Perth Cultural Centre. A strong and clear brand will:

• inform visitor experience and impact of the WA Museum and, in particular, the New Museum;
• ensure relevance and connection with communities and stakeholders;
• support long-term organisational change and effectiveness;
• foster public custodianship by embedding the Museum into the cultural fabric of WA.

Extensive research with Museum stakeholders, visitors as well as non-visitors has established that most audiences and all non-visitors want more engagement and a deeper connection through their museum experience (Morris Hargreaves McIntyre 2014). Our goal is to reach new audiences and build deeper connections with existing audiences by changing both the perception and the experience of the museum and redefining the Museum’s purpose, setting a new global benchmark for the museum of the future.

By enabling more people to engage with the Museum we can help define what it means to be West Australian and promote our State nationally and internationally. The Museum has contracted Perth company The Brand Agency to lead the Museum through the design and implementation phase of the brand project.

Strategic Partnerships

The Museum continues to seek opportunities to work collaboratively with partners for mutual benefit. One of this year’s highlights was the ongoing strategic partnership with Celebrate WA: this year, it delivered a comprehensive program of WA Day events that promoted the aims of both organisations, including fostering community discussion on what it means to be West Australian; showcasing the achievements of West Australians; inspiring people to explore and share their identity, culture, environment and sense of place; and recognising Aboriginal people as the first peoples of WA.

WA Day was celebrated at all Museum sites with Celebrate WA providing $25,000 (+GST) to each site to develop their activation plans. Called Come Out and Play days, each site developed a program that included fun activities for children and families. WA Day occurred during National Reconciliation Week and as part of that activity all visitors were encouraged to participate in creating a reconciliation ‘Sea of Hands’ at each Museum site.

Come Out and Play was a huge success, particularly in the regions where there was a phenomenal increase in visitation compared to last year, of 1030%.

Employee Perception Survey

In April 2014 the Public Sector Commission (PSC) conducted its annual Employee Perception Survey. This year is the first year the Museum’s results were collected and reported independently of the Culture and Arts Portfolio, with the results provided in this reporting year. 237 surveys were distributed with 143 surveys returned. With a response rate of 60%, the results of this survey provide useful insights into what it feels like to work at the Museum.

WA Day Visitation

	2014	2015	Variance
Western Australian Museum - Albany	208	2,138	+927.8%
Western Australian Museum - Kalgoorlie-Boulder	270	3,300	+1,122.2%
Western Australian Museum - Geraldton	109	1,200	+1000.9%
Total	587	6,638	+1,030.8%

These are important because employee perceptions and experiences influence behaviour in the workplace and impact on performance and productivity. Tracking these perceptions is also helpful during periods of organisational change.

Overall, the Museum (WAM) tracked well against the general public sector (PS). When compared with overall PSC results Museum (WAM) staff:

• have a high level of job satisfaction (92% WAM, 86% PS);
• believe employees of the Museum are committed to providing excellent customer service and making a positive difference to the community (97% WAM, 90% PS);
• feel a strong personal attachment to their agency (80% WAM, 64% PS);
• are proud to tell others they work for their agency (87% WAM, 69% PS);
• believe the Museum actively encourages ethical behaviour by all its employees (91% WAM, 87% PS);
• say their workplace culture is equally welcoming of people from all diversity groups (97% WAM, 88% PS);
• believe senior managers lead by example in ethical behaviour (82% WAM, 73% PS); and
• are familiar with the Public Sector Code of Ethics (91% WAM, 77% PS); and the Museum’s Code of Conduct (95% WAM).

Most importantly, more Museum staff than other Public Sector employees said that their agency encouraged the public to participate in the design of services and programs (75% WAM, 53% PS) and encouraged creativity and innovation (71% WAM, 58% PS).

The survey also identified areas that need improvement, including supporting staff to:

• manage their workload;
• manage change; and
• access more training and development opportunities in their work area.

These issues are, to some extent, impacted by restrictions in recurrent Government funding and the organisation’s own change agenda. The results of this survey have been shared with managers and a strategy to address areas for improvement has been developed for implementation.

Developing a Skilled, Motivated and Flexible Workforce

In 2014–15, staff attended a total of 1,079 training sessions, representing 5,448 hours or 726 training days, across a range of learning areas. The Museum’s total cash expenditure on staff training was $73,143. Not all training is delivered at a cash cost and the total commitment, when staff time is included, is significantly greater.

Areas of focus for training this year included the Museum’s Induction and Manual Handling. Workers Compensation and Injury Management training was rolled out in May 2015.

98% of all Museum staff have also completed Accountable and Ethical Decision Making (AEDM) training since it was introduced in 2012–13, and the Museum continues to work with those casual members of staff, and others, who have not yet completed the training.

Grants and Contributions

The Museum received $0.510 million in Commonwealth grants and contributions, remaining restricted funds received but not yet spent include Australian Biological Resources Study ($0.026 million); Department of the Environment ($0.117 million); Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums ($0.006 million); and the Department of Social Services ($0.035 million). The Museum received $1.076 million from State grants and contributions, including grants from the Department of Culture and the Arts ($0.049 million); Department of Environment Regulation ($0.598 million); Western Australian Marine Science Institution ($0.196 million); Department of Parks and Wildlife ($0.003 million); and the Department of Housing ($0.065 million).

Energy Audits of All Sites

The Museum has initiated energy audits for all sites in the metropolitan and regional areas with the exception of the soon-to-be redeveloped Perth site. The Museum requires a sound understanding of its current energy budget to determine how savings could be made and associated greenhouse gas emissions reduced. The Museum recognises the need to demonstrate prudent, sustainable management of energy resources from an ethical, financial and environmental perspective.

The audit is the first step in the development of an ongoing energy management strategy which will also:

• specify how low or nil cost actions can be put in place to start saving energy immediately; and
• identify costs and benefits, and justify, prioritise and describe further energy saving opportunities that will require some resource or capital investment.

The energy audit report will be available in the next financial year and will support informed decision making about future investments in energy management.

Heart of the Community

Establishing the Museum in the hearts and minds of all Western Australians and including them in the creation and sharing of knowledge.

The Museum is committed to developing and hosting programs and exhibitions that are ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Site visitation overall increased this reporting year with 951,484 visits recorded; and an extensive range of public programs, lectures, tours, performances and other activities attracted 185,617 participants. The Museum also hosted 37 temporary exhibitions across its six public sites which explored a diverse range of themes. Highlights this year included:

Dinosaur Discovery

The 2014–15 financial year began with the continuation of the WA Museum-created Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous exhibition which ran from 11 April to 24 August 2014, and is the Museum’s most popular exhibition ever, achieving a total visitation of 173,041 in just over four months. The scientifically-based, fee-for-entry exhibition featuring 3D and virtual reality highlights was primarily aimed at families but the Museum also wanted to encourage more young adults to visit, targeting that age-group with pop-up bars in the gallery space over several Friday nights. The Cretaceous Bars were a resounding success, with 4,423 visitors attending.

Hidden Treasures from Kabul

The Museum was privileged to host the historically significant and stunningly beautiful exhibition of antiquities, Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. More than 200 objects made of gold, silver, glass, semi-precious stones and ceramics dating back to the Bronze Age were on display. It was part of a national treasure trove of ancient cultural materials thought lost during Afghanistan’s civil war. Audiences were inspired by the incredible story of how a small group of Afghanistan National Museum staff risked their lives to hide the treasures and save their country’s rich cultural heritage for future generations. The main exhibition was complemented by a community exhibition in the Beaufort Street foyer created from objects loaned by WA’s Afghan community, and a stunning photographic exhibition by Afghan photographer Barat Ali Batoor.

An extensive series of related public programs and lectures organised jointly between the WA Museum and the University of Western Australia’s Institute of Advanced Studies, and a community day featuring food, music, and traditional crafts were some of the activities that showcased the rich cultural heritage of Afghanistan in a modern context. The feefor- entry exhibition achieved its expected visitation target with 31,599 people attending. The Museum’s launch event was a celebration of culture and heritage, and focussed on connections with the local Afghan community with more than 200 people attending.

Lost Diggers

As part of its Centenary of Service exhibition calendar, the Museum hosted the Australian War Memorial’s Remember Me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt exhibition. Comprising photographs of Australian soldiers taken in France during World War I while they were at the staging post of Vignacourt, a few kilometres from the front, the exhibition shares a little-known side of the war years while seeking to connect with the descendants and families of the unnamed diggers pictured. This exhibition opened in June 2015 at the Perth site and will also travel to the Museum’s regional sites.

Last Gentlemen of War

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cocos — Australia’s first successful naval engagement of World War I — the Museum developed this exhibition to share the extraordinary story of victory, honour, decency and humour that at the time prompted a New York journalist to describe it as being fought by the “last gentlemen of war”. The battle between the first HMAS Sydney and Germany’s SMS Emden ended in a victory for Australia with the Emden driven onto reefs at the Cocos Islands and being abandoned. The exhibition opened at the Maritime Museum and the launch was attended by more than a dozen members of the Emden Family, descendants of the ships’ sailors, who travelled from Germany for the event. Last Gentlemen of War was an extremely popular free entry exhibition, with 42,297 visitors over six months.

Faces from the Front

Also part of the Museum’s Centenary of Service exhibition calendar, the Kalgoorlie- Boulder site developed its own exhibition to mark the very real human, social and economic impact World War I had on the Goldfields. Faces from the Front is a very poignant exhibition based on images held in the historically significant Dwyer-McKay photographic collection owned by the WA Museum. It tells the stories of those soldiers, and their families, who had their portraits taken in Dwyer’s studio in Kalgoorlie on enlistment, or on their return. Museum staff liaised with regional Returned and Services League groups, the Army Reserve in Kalgoorlie, the Australian War Memorial and with the Army Museum of Western Australia, to develop this very significant exhibition. Visitation to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder site during the free-entry exhibition was excellent with 44,615 people attending.

Bush Babies

The Museum actively fosters partnerships that help deliver programs and exhibitions that engage people with real stories that are important, and important to them. The Community Access Gallery at the Perth site this year hosted Bush Babies: Honouring Our Elders, a Community Arts Network WA portrait project that celebrated the strength and resilience of Noongar Elders from across the Wheatbelt. The exhibition received very positive feedback from visitors who acknowledged the importance of sharing such an important West Australian story.

Faith, Fashion, Fusion

From the Powerhouse Museum (now the Museum of Applied Art and Science) in Sydney, this exhibition showcases contemporary Muslim women’s fashion in Australia and is aimed at promoting a better understanding of the Muslim faith and demonstrating the diversity and the status of women in the community. The exhibition opened in Geraldton where three local Muslim women contributed to the exhibition, sharing their personal experiences of faith and fashion.

Once again, the launch event for this exhibition was community focussed and was supported by the local Muslim community. The free entry exhibition was very popular with 7,603 visits over three months.

Spaced 2

An exhibition of installations by national and international artists who worked in remote and regional Western Australian communities re-interpreting the stories of WA, spaced 2: future recall developed new works based on an engagement with local residents, histories and landscapes.

Exhibitions Elsewhere

The total number of visitations to exhibitions created and made accessible at non-museum sites for this reporting year was 61,042.

Growing our Audiences

The ability to understand what drives audiences helps the Museum better target its services to better accommodate individual needs. In doing this, it can increase overall visitation by providing innovative ways for people to contribute to content, share ideas and knowledge, and connect with others.

2014-15 Exhibitions Created and Made Accessible by the Western Australian Museum at Non-Museum Sites

Exhibition	Venue	Dates	Visitation
The Day the Emden Came	Cocos Islands	1/11/2014 (ongoing)	750
National Anzac Centre	National Anzac Centre, Albany	1/11/2014 (ongoing)	57,792
ANZAC Coves	Albany Entertainment Centre	23/4/2015 to 20/5/2015	2,500

Western Australian Museum General Visitation Growth

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This year the Museum re-engaged audience development specialists Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (MHM) to continue its demographic and market research which is now able to reveal patterns and trends the Museum can utilise, especially as it develops relevant content and experiences for the New Museum.

This year’s Annual Visitor Research Report by MHM shows an overall increase of 7% in general visitation to the Museum compared to last year. Proportionally, Albany received the biggest year-on-year increase in visits (30%) which is likely to be due, in part, to increased visitation to the City of Albany for the 100th anniversary of the departure of the ANZAC Convoys and the opening of the National Anzac Centre. Shipwreck Galleries suffered a significant decrease in visits (-20%) likely due to its 11-week closure for maintenance. Note: MHM reporting only covers general visitation and does not include schools groups or event participation; overall visitation to all Museum sites is notably higher than listed here. All visitation is reported in the Key Performance Indicators on page 99.

Comparing general visitor figures recorded over the past three years confirms a pattern: the peak at the beginning of the first quarter period coincides with when exhibitions are closing or new exhibitions are opening, and also with school holidays, while dips generally coincide with the transition periods between exhibitions.

Audience Drivers

People visit museums to meet a range of deepseated needs which include, but are not limited to, being inspired, experiencing awe and wonder, seeking learning, and spending time with family and friends. MHM has identified four broad drivers for visitation with each primary driver determining how a visitor sees their museum experience, and what basic needs that person will want to have met during a visit.

The main drivers for visits to the Museum this year were either social (28%) or emotional (28%), a change from previous years where visits were motivated primarily by intellectual reasons (25% this year; 28% in 2013–14; 31% in 2012–13). For those driven by mainly social needs, reasons for their visit included that the Museum was an enjoyable place to pass the time (22%); its reputation as one of the major attractions in the area (20%); and to see an interesting building (19%). For those with primarily emotional motivations, reasons included to see what life was like in the past (28%); to get a better insight into people, cultures and their own identity (26%); and to see aweinspiring things (18%). The overwhelming majority of visitors driven by intellectual needs this year cited improving their own knowledge and understanding (38%) as the main reason for visiting the Museum.

Visitor Satisfaction

The majority of audiences were satisfied with their visit (95%) with just over half ‘very satisfied’ (51%); this represents a slight decrease from last year when 96% of people were ‘satisfied’ with their visit and 53% of people were ‘very satisfied’. While overall levels of satisfaction were high across most venues, visitors to the Perth site were least likely to be ‘very satisfied’ with only 40% recording the highest level of satisfaction with their visitor experience. Works in and around the Perth site in preparation for the New Museum with associated noise and access impact, have contributed to decreased satisfaction levels.

Across all sites there were more female visitors than male (56% compared to 44% as per the last two financial years) which is typical of the profile of global museum audiences.

Driver for Visitation	Seeking from Museum Experience
Spiritual	Creative stimulation and quiet contemplation, they see cultural experience as an opportunity to escape and recharge their batteries. Food for the soul.
Emotional	Possible personal connection to the subject matter. Want to see fascinating things in an inspiring setting.
Intellectual	Avenue to encourage their children’s or their own interest in the subject. Seek a journey of discovery to find new things.
Social	Venue as an enjoyable place to spend time with friends and family. Seek ease of access and orientation through good facilities, services and welcoming staff.

Regional Reach

The Museum has three regional sites that are cultural hubs within their local communities. All sites provide vibrant programs of public exhibitions and events aimed at encouraging new audiences and repeat visitation from within their regions, as well as promoting tourist visitation to and around WA.

Total visitation overall and from school groups to all regional sites increased from last year.

Comparative Attendance 2013-14 and 2014-15

	Year	Overall Visitors	School Groups	Site Total
Western Australian Museum — Albany	2013-14	93,471	4,481	97,952
	2014-15	121,367	5,982	127,349
Western Australian Museum — Geraldton	2013-14	37,046	1,715	38,761
	2014-15	46,620	3,088	49,708
Western Australian Museum — Kalgoorlie-Boulder	2013-14	86,674	2,092	88,766
	2014-15	88,795	2,361	91,156

The year's highlights from the regions include:

In Albany, the Museum worked with more than 1,300 school students and teachers to create over 2,000 floating reflective lights representing the Anzac forces waiting off the coast at Gallipoli. The lights were launched on Amity Pond the evening before Anzac Day, creating a very moving tribute to the ANZACs and an excellent learning opportunity for the students.

In Geraldton, the Museum was a partner in the Geraldton Goes Wajarri project, part of the spaced 2: art out of place biennial project from 2013-15. German artist Pia Lanzinger raised awareness of the fragility of Aboriginal languages by getting participants to adopt a Wajarri word, wear it on a t-shirt, and encourage them to use it in their daily life, raising its profile in the community.

In Kalgoorlie-Boulder, up to a dozen Year 11 and 12 students from the Eastern Goldfields College got the chance to run the Museum for a day. Working in small groups alongside Museum staff on exhibition preparation, collection management and visitor engagement, students studying for a Certificate II in Tourism applied the skills they had learned in the classroom to a real work environment. The initiative was aimed at providing a different learning opportunity that also engaged new audiences and encouraged repeat visitation.

Helping to Remember Them

The Museum’s Regional Development Service works with communities across regional WA, providing advice and support on all aspects of museum activity. This year the team responded to 429 queries for support; provided services to 19 local governments; made 27 site visits to various client organisations; conducted 18 workshops; worked with five Aboriginal communities, and contributed to the development of regional storylines and themes to be considered for the New Museum.

This year also saw the first of the Remembering Them exhibitions open to the public. Remembering Them is a key regional initiative supporting communities to create and stage their own exhibitions telling stories of the impact of World War I on their communities. This year, 15 exhibitions opened with the assistance of the Museum and project partners the Royal Western Australian Historical Society and Museums Australia (WA Branch); 32 exhibitions are planned over the four years of the Centenary of Service calendar. The project is supported by Lotterywest through ‘Big Ideas’.

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Create, Share and Connect

Online

The digitisation of a collection of photographs documenting Australian life at the turn of the 20th Century in the Goldfields last year is just one example of the Museum’s ongoing work to make its collections more accessible to the public. More than 5,000 images taken by Goldfields photographers John Joseph Dwyer and Thomas Faulkner Mackay are now publically accessible and can be viewed at: museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/ dwyer-and-mackay

Other collections scheduled to be uploaded to the Museum website soon.

As part of the New Museum Project there is a significant body of work being done to digitise the Museum’s collections and to develop a single, searchable collection management information system.

The Museum is committed to the release and sharing of more of this knowledge across as many platforms as possible and a mobile app has been developed to enhance accessibility.

An additional focus has been to increase access to the Museum’s collections and content via third party websites. Access via such platforms, including the Atlas of Living Australia and YouTube, last year increased by 667.98% to 28,254 views. Content creation views (such as blogs, articles, photo galleries and online collections) have increased by 17.99% to 285,475; and the average dwell time is 2 minutes and 31 seconds which is an increase of 3.42%.

In the Media

The Museum uses a range of platforms to promote the work it does across all of its many disciplines, and the increased profile that results, to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the Museum in the lifelong discovery and learning opportunities that result. One of the key platforms the Museum uses to inform audiences about its activities is free media — that is, the stories generated across traditional and social media platforms that appear by virtue of the interest factor of the content.

This year free traditional media coverage across print, radio and television totalled 2,003 monitored items which reached a total audience of 87,791,172. An equivalent amount of advertising space is calculated to cost $12,915,361 (Figures provided by Isentia media monitoring services). The Museum’s media team also managed 2,286 media engagements with a range of WA, national and international media outlets.

The Museum is focussed on expanding its social media networks to directly connect with new and emerging audiences, and to start conversations that allow and assist in the sharing of ideas and knowledge. In the last 12 months Facebook likes and check-ins increased by 44%, Twitter followers increased by 54%, Instagram followers increased by 84.5% while Instagram likes, which is an indicator of advocacy as it registers how many extra likes pictures received over the last financial year, increased by 114.6%. Currently, there is no methodology or industry standard for quantifying the dollar value of social media activity generated or achieved.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Ensuring meaningful engagement with, and inclusion of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples in all that we do.

The Museum’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee (WAMAAC) has been very active throughout the year, providing guidance and support for the Museum’s activity, particularly in the areas of cultural fieldwork, exhibition development and the New Museum Project. The Museum recognises the primary rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their cultural heritage, and actively pursues opportunities to ensure that at every level of the organisation there is meaningful engagement. This includes discussing and negotiating content; respecting a diversity of viewpoints; considering issues of context and interpretation; reflecting the nature of contested histories; being sensitive to cultural conventions; and, above all, being sensitive and inclusive in defining the stories and ideas the Museum shares, and how they will be shared and publically presented.

WAMAAC Chair Irene Stainton is also a member of the Museum’s Board of Trustees and has provided 17 years invaluable service to the organisation. Ms Stainton has recently been appointed as the Trustees’ ex-officio member of the WA Museum Foundation Board of Governors, ensuring that at every level of museum activity there is meaningful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement. The WA Museum Foundation is a non-government body, established for the purposes of raising funds to facilitate the work of the Museum.

Lustre: A Success Story

Launched in June 2015, Lustre: Pearling & Australia is an exhibition co-created and curated by the Museum and Broome-based Aboriginal corporation Nyamba Buru Yawuru. Nearly five years in development, the exhibition showcases the unique and important role that pearls, pearl shell and pearling played across time and culture in Australia, intertwining ancient Aboriginal stories with the more recent industry development that transformed the country’s north. The exhibition is the result of a powerful collaboration between the Museum, Nyamba Buru Yawuru and peoples from the Bardi, Jawi, Karajarri and Mayala language groups.

Lustre is an excellent example of the community partnerships around which the Museum of the future will be based, and epitomises the value of working with communities to share their stories. Much of the content was generated by Kimberley people in consultation with Elders to ensure that objects, themes, interpretation and presentation were authentic and appropriate.

The exhibition launch event was attended by dozens of Kimberley people who very much enjoyed the exhibition and endorsed its cultural content, with performances by the Bardi Jawi Dancers.

Nyamba Buru Yawuru guest curator Sarah Yu also initiated Emerging Curator traineeships funded by the Department of Culture and the Arts for two young Aboriginal people to assist with the exhibition. One of those recipients, Maya Shioji, has continued her relationship with the Museum and joined the Art Working Group for the New Museum Project, whilst the other, Bart Pigram, is busy establishing his own cultural tourism business.

Revealed

As part of the April school holiday program, the Museum participated in the Department of Culture and the Arts Revealed program supporting emerging Aboriginal artists, by hosting the Ochre Contemporary Dance Company in a series of workshop performances. Hackett Hall was transformed into a performing arts studio where in one day 91 people, including 27 participating children, took the opportunity to interpret objects from the Museum’s collection, through movement. Ochre strives to bring Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal dancers, choreographers and arts professionals together to promote understanding of cultural heritage and identity, reflecting the Museum’s own mission to inspire people to explore and share their identity, culture, environment and sense of place and to contribute to the diversity and creativity of our world.

Employment and Traineeships

In Albany, Regional Manager Rachael Wilsher- Saa identified the need for an Aboriginal Learning and Community Liaison Officer at the Museum and was instrumental in developing the business case which led to the employment of Vernice Gillies in the role. Ms Gillies is responsible for ensuring an appropriate Aboriginal voice and perspective is present in the development of all school and public programs; leading the development of strong, sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between the Aboriginal communities of the Great Southern and the Museum; and, through consultation, exploring, providing advice on, initiating and developing the potential of Aboriginal community involvement in all site programming, projects and partnerships. Albany also hosted Public Sector Commission (PSC) Aboriginal trainee Jess Hill during the year.

The PSC Aboriginal Traineeship Program is an employment-based training initiative that provides young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with an opportunity to develop public administration skills and competencies through on-the-job training in a Government agency.

The Museum’s corporate division also hosted PSC Aboriginal trainee Josh Gelmi for several months. Mr Gelmi was seconded to the Department of Culture and the Arts and, as part of his traineeship, spent several months with the Museum working with Senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Officer Deanne Fitzgerald. Mr Gelmi helped coordinate the Museum’s internal and external activity program for NAIDOC Week, and worked with the content teams on the New Museum Project.

Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week

This year the Museum developed a program of activities internally and externally to acknowledge Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week, to ensure these important milestones in our shared cultural calendar were appropriately recognised. These are important ways in which the Museum connects with its community and contributes to the fight against racism. Inside the organisation, staff gathered and shared some traditional bush tucker and some very powerful, personal Stolen Generation histories to acknowledge both Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week. An important role of the Museum is to present a range of different viewpoints and to provide a platform for expression of opinions to help promote understanding and, hopefully, reconciliation. Seas of Hands were created at each site including the Welshpool Collections and Research Centre to acknowledge past injustices and historical exclusion, and to work towards reconciliation for all Australia.

Reconciliation Action Plan

The Museum’s Reconciliation Action Plan was this year approved internally through the Museum’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee and Board of Trustees, and has been endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. This Plan provides the framework from which the Museum will continue to commit and contribute to promoting respect and understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Through the Plan the Museum will focus on three requirements:

• Relationships: understanding the need to build strong relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and why it is important for the organisation and its core business.
• Respect: recognising the ways in which the Museum respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culture, land, and history and how this is important to the organisation and its core business.
• Opportunities: what opportunities will be made available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and why this is important to the organisation and its business.

Returning Home

The Museum has a very active Aboriginal cultural materials repatriation program, funded largely by the Federal Government. This is aimed at returning to Country both Aboriginal Ancestral Remains and secret and sacred objects that have been placed in the Museum’s care over many decades. This year the Museum returned Ancestral Remains to Noongar custodians in Kojonup in the South- West; to the Pinnacles north of Perth; to Malgana families from the Shark Bay area; and to Nyangumarta and Karajarri custodians of the Mandora area in the Pilbara.

Particularly significant was the return to Tasmania of three plaster casts representing the faces of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, one of whom was identified as Truganini – probably the best known Tasmanian Aboriginal woman of Australia’s colonial era. The Museum had no information about the origin of the casts, nor were they ever registered in the collection. After contacting representatives of the Aboriginal community in Tasmania to establish their possible provenance, the Museum received a request for their return through the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC). The TAC arranged for a Perth-based Tasmanian man, Glenn Shaw, to oversee the packing of the casts for their return to Country.

Returning Control

There are seven reserves in WA that were created for the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage which are either vested in the Western Australian Museum, or over which the Museum has management orders. The Museum has long aspired to return these very significant heritage sites to the control and management of traditional owners and is now working with relevant stakeholders to facilitate the transfer of these reserves to an appropriate Aboriginal organisation. This year the Museum’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee and its Board of Trustees approved the change of vesting for Hearson Cove located on the Burrup Peninsula; Balla Balla, also known as Depuch Island; and the Kununurra Reserve in the Shire of Wyndham. Discussions are scheduled with Landgate to effect the changes.

World Leader

Building an international reputation for collections, research, public engagement and creativity.

The Western Australian Museum is the official custodian of the State’s collections of natural, scientific and cultural heritage. It is required by law to ensure that these collections are properly preserved for reference, research, exhibition and public engagement purposes, now and for future generations. The continuing development of these collections creates and provides a valuable public resource. The range of specimens and objects on display provides a unique learning opportunity for visitors to engage with authentic objects in contextualised settings, and those held behind-the-scenes are used for research and analysis by WA Government agencies and industry to inform sustainable State development, as well as by scientists world-wide across a wide range of disciplines.

The Western Australian Museum collections have a key role in expressing State identity. Adding to the Museum collections, conserving them and increasing accessibility to them provides an invaluable resource for Western Australians and the world. They are irreplaceable, and an authentic source of information that will continue to serve the public for generations to come.

Caring for the State's Collection

In 2014–15 the WA Museum added 50,963 items to the State’s Collection; 5,274 items or collections of items were acquired by donation to the value of $3,226,936; 4 items were purchased to the value of $392*; and 45,685 items were collected during field work.

The Museum’s conservators this year treated 1,741 objects, including one of the cannon from the 1727 VOC shipwreck Zeewijk which had been on display in the main street of Geraldton and which had deteriorated over time. Conservation work is ongoing and is required to preserve the State’s Collection for future generations.

In 2014–15, Museum scientists, researchers and curators produced and distributed 59 peer-reviewed research papers, 8 book chapters, 4 books, 8 conference papers, 11 popular publications, 5 non-refereed reports, 3 refereed academic journals, 3 unpublished reports and 19 unpublished reports to consultants. They also undertook 68 research projects, 49 of which were collaborative with 16 involving 44 international partner agencies or organisations; and conducted 61 field trips in WA, 5 interstate and 4 overseas.

Museum staff and associates were also at the forefront of adding to the knowledge and understanding of WA’s natural environment with the description of 45 new animal species, including 8 new species holotypes added to the Collection.

A holotypes is the first (and only) specimen which is used to describe a new species. It is the ultimate reference point for anyone studying that species in the future and is quite literally irreplaceable. Type specimens — especially holotypes — are the most important category of biological and geological material that a museum can hold.

Case Study: Asylum Seeker Boat Donated

The Museum this year acquired the wooden asylum seeker boat that arrived into Geraldton in April 2013. The boat was donated to the Museum by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

The boat and its story are part of contemporary Australian history and the Museum is committed to documenting the historical record through the collection of significant objects that explore the history of WA and connect people to its past, present and future.

The arrival of the vessel to mainland WA caused vociferous community debate and the Museum’s acquisition of it raised that debate to another level, with some people questioning the value of collecting it. WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said:

Of the criteria that define what contemporary material any museum should collect, one tries to imagine how significant that material might be viewed in 100 years’ time. The Museum already houses the most significant collection of excavated maritime archaeological material in the world today, collected off the WA coast. The acquisition of this vessel represents the latest chapter in centuries of documented Indian Ocean history. It is also an opportunity to tell the human stories of those involved.

Contributing to the Conservation of Environment, Landscapes, Heritage Sites and Traditions

The Museum continues to be regarded as an authority on issues of marine and terrestrial biodiversity and matters of cultural significance, responding to more than 2,531 requests for advice from Government and the private sector.

Discharging Heritage Responsibilities

The Museum responded to 26 requests for information in relation to maritime archaeological wrecks and/or relics. This included registering and maintaining artefacts, investigating and identifying shipwrecks and providing advice about State and Commonwealth maritime archaeological sites under the Museum’s care. The Museum collaborated with 7 international museums and research organisations during the year, sharing its expertise in the preservation of underwater cultural heritage.

Case Study: Proving the Value of the WA Museum Collection

Highlighting the importance of museum collections as troves of undiscovered treasures, the WA Museum discovered a new species of seadragon with the help of a specimen in its Collection that had washed up on Cottesloe beach in 1919.

Bright red in colour, the Ruby Seadragon, or Phyllopteryx dewysea, is only the third species of seadragon ever to be described after the Leafy Seadragon (Phycodurus eques) and the Common Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) — both of which are found along Australia’s southern coast.

The new species was identified and described using DNA from a WA Museum specimen collected off Esperance in 2007 (as part of the Marine Futures project) and comparing it to other specimens. This included the one in the Museum’s Collection from 1919, which was subsequently identified as being the same species. This is an amazing find of a new animal in WA waters and a clear demonstration of the value of the WA Museum Collection over time, in informing current and future scientific research.

The new species was described by Dr Nerida Wilson, from the WA Museum’s Aquatic Zoology department and Molecular Systematics Unit, who collaborated with scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

To read the full scientific article, visit: rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/ content/2/2/140458.

Working Collaboratively

One of the highlights of the Museum’s international underwater conservation was work on the iconic Australian World War I submarine the AE2, which still sits at the bottom of the Sea of Marmara in the Dardanelles Strait. Captain Stoker and his crew aboard AE2 successfully penetrated the heavily mined Strait and entered the Sea of Marmara on the night of 25 April, 1915. After five days of creating havoc for the Turkish navy, AE2 was holed and had to be scuttled — the crew escaped safely but were captured and became prisoners of war.

Conservation and understanding of this vessel is an international maritime conservation priority in this Centenary of Service year, and the Museum’s internationally recognised metals conservation expert, Executive Director of Fremantle Museums and Collections Dr Ian MacLeod, has been actively involved in the planning and execution of significant work programs to facilitate this. Work this year included the installation of three pods of sacrificial anodes onto the submarine to provide ongoing corrosion protection over the next 10 years. AE2 is the biggest metallic object in the form of a warship to undergo such extensive in situ conservation work, in the world.

Case Study: Beacon Island Burials Revealed

A team of archaeologists and scientists from the Museum and The University of Western Australia this year uncovered the remains of four people at Beacon Island, part of the Houtman Abrolhos group, off the coast of Geraldton, and the site of one of WA’s worst ever massacres.

The research team, examining archaeological sites related WA’s most famous shipwrecks, the Batavia. The island had been the site of fishers’ shacks for many decades and it was only after the agreed departure of the fishers, that the structures could be dismantled and the island properly investigated for evidence of human remains.

The team found one burial site containing the remains of an adolescent person and musket balls. A few centimetres away a second multiple burial of two adults was found; one had remnants of copper clothing clasps. The fourth burial identified by the team was of a headless adult body. The body will now be reunited with its skull, collected more than 40 years ago by fishers and exhibited in the Western Australian Museum — Geraldton.

The remains will join previously excavated materials held by the WA Museum and currently being studied at The University of Western Australia’s Centre for Forensic Science. They bring the number of Batavia victims discovered to 13 and represented a significant opportunity to reconstruct the events surrounding these individuals’ deaths and internment. The remains are treated with respect and the Museum and its partners adhere to national and international protocols governing such historic finds.

The Batavia was wrecked on Morning Reef near Beacon Island in the Houtman Abrolhos islands in 1629. Of the estimated 341 people on board, most made it to nearby islands but 196 people died, including women and children, mostly during a land-based mutiny among the survivors. The wreck site was discovered in 1963 and excavated by the Museum in the early 1970s. Since then, continued archaeological work on several islands has located historic material associated with the wreck.

The work is part of the Australian Research Council-funded project Shipwrecks of the Roaring Forties: a maritime archaeological reassessment of some of Australia’s earliest shipwrecks. The project is led by The University of Western Australia and involves national and international partners including Curtin University, WA Department of Fisheries, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Flinders University, University of South Carolina, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands State Archives, the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science – Cultural Heritage Agency and the British Museum.

New Museum Project

Recognising that the development of the New Museum is the key organisational priority for the next six years, and ensuring that its development supports the Museum’s mission.

Delivering the New Museum for Western Australia is the single biggest opportunity, and challenge, for the Western Australian Museum from now until doors open in 2020 — and, of course, beyond.

The State Government’s unwavering support for the New Museum Project has seen tremendous progress with major milestones achieved this reporting year the most significant of which, the release of the Request for Proposal to three shortlisted consortia to design and construct the New Museum in the Perth Cultural Centre, is already noted in this report as an organisational highlight.

Heritage Conservation at Perth Site

Ahead of construction work to redevelop the Perth site next year, conservation work was required to restore the facades of the four beautiful heritage-listed buildings on the site. Scaffolding has been erected around the buildings for much of the year as heritage conservation specialists meticulously cleaned, repaired and repointed the brick work on the buildings; fixed window frames and restored the original stone stairs. Many of the decorative stone caps that sit atop the buildings, known as tourelles, were also replaced as they had significantly degraded and new ones were carved by stonemasons to match the original designs.

Remediation work to the Old Perth Gaol saw modern paint removed and the original limestone and bricks cleaned, showing once again the original fabric of the building. All heritage conservation work will be complete in the 2015–16 financial year.

Welshpool Collections and Research Centre Works

Construction of new facilities at the Welshpool Collections and Research Centre, including a purpose-built wet store, new laboratories and preparation spaces, is progressing well. The works provide critical upgrades necessary to ensure that the collection, storage and preparation needs for the Museum will be adequately supported into the future, particularly for the New Museum Project. The State’s internationally significant and irreplaceable collection of spirit-preserved specimens of natural history is stored on-site at Welshpool, and improved facilities were necessary for the Museum to fulfil its legislative requirement to properly care for the State’s Collection, as well as fulfil its mandate to deliver an extraordinary New Museum for Western Australia.

As part of the State Government’s Percent for Art Scheme, the Welshpool facility will have concrete detail included on the side of the building inspired by the Collection. Local artists Concreto worked with Museum staff to develop the concept. A second public art work was commissioned for the interior of the building. This work was inspired by the aquatic zoology collection, and is being developed in partnership with a local community reference group. Major upgrades to the Welshpool Collections and Research Centre are scheduled to be complete in the 2015–16 financial year.

Community Engagement

The New Museum for WA is being developed with a People First approach, providing meaningful and ongoing opportunities for the people of WA to have input into the content and visitor experiences.

Community Panels

In January 2015 the Museum invited Western Australians from around the State to provide direction and guidance for the New Museum Project by joining one of four community panels comprising:

• People’s Panel, representing the many backgrounds and interests of all Western Australians; and
• one each for Accessibility and Inclusion; Children and Young People; and Teachers and Educators.

The selection criteria for the panels sought to ensure that a broad-cross section of people from around Western Australia was selected, representing people of differing ages, from metropolitan and regional WA, people with disability and carers, people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The Museum received 557 applications to participate. Sixty community panel members were selected and welcomed to the Project by the Minister for Culture and the Arts at an event in March 2015. The first workshop was held in May where panel members provided feedback on content and visitor experiences for the New Museum. The panels will continue to have input into the New Museum Project until it doors open in 2020.

Public Engagement

The New Museum Project is building on the Museum’s ongoing commitment to public engagement by partnering with communities and organisations to reach new audiences throughout the State.

This year Museum staff working on the Project met with 5,570 people at community festivals, programs, meetings and events, 1,375 of whom were from regional WA. People were asked to contribute their ideas about possible content and potential museum experiences to include in their New Museum. Some of the events attended included WA Day, Perth Heritage Festival, Kickstart Youth Festival, Bassendean Shopping Centre Open Day, Kwinana Sunset Fiesta and NAIDOC events amongst others.

WA Faces continues to be an important public engagement activity for the New Museum Project. Since its inception for Harmony Week in 2014, more than 1,500 portraits of the people of the State have been captured and shared on the Museum’s website. The WA Faces project celebrates the diversity and creativity of Western Australian people, and is a platform for sharing themes, stories and ideas that are important to them. WA Faces is a partnership with the people of WA and feature their reasons for being proud West Australians in their own voices. These aspirational and inspirational accounts are feeding directly into the content being developed for the New Museum. It demonstrates the commitment to develop the New Museum with a ‘People First’ approach.

Regional Focus

In 2014–15 Museum staff visited many places and communities in WA, meeting with people in regional communities to begin conversations about developing the New Museum in such a way that is representative of the entire State. Regional stories are a key priority for content and program development and introductory meetings and public workshops were held in the Kimberley, Mid-West, Goldfields, Gascoyne and Great Southern regions where staff introduced the New Museum Project and asked about the important stories from each area that people believed should be featured. The New Museum Project has an Aboriginal Engagement Plan, developed in consultation with the WA Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee (WAMAAC) and aligned with the New Museum’s Public Engagement Strategy. It outlines the program of consultation and engagement with Aboriginal people over the course of the Project and beyond. Initial introductions and meetings were held with Traditional Owners and community representatives in the Kimberley, Gascoyne and Great Southern throughout the year.

Content Development

The Western Australian Museum’s vision is to be a museum owned, valued and used by all West Australians and admired by the world. To achieve this, the organisation is redefining what a museum can and should be. Teams are working on multi-disciplinary content that reflects the Museum’s major themes of Being Western Australian; Discovering Western Australia; and Exploring the World as well as the concept of Revealing the Museum.

This involves consultation with staff, community panels, and external partners and significant research into the Museum’s and the community’s collections of stories, objects and memories. They are investigating and developing innovative ways for these to be interpreted and presented to showcase the State’s extraordinary past, present and future. A program of contemporary collecting has been developed to enable the Museum to stay relevant and vibrant long after the doors have opened in 2020 so visitors return again and again.

Our Supporters

The Western Australian Museum Foundation

The Western Australian Museum Foundation’s objective is to provide meaningful and sustainable financial support to the Museum by building private and corporate investment in the Museum and its programs and, where possible, advocating for the interests of the Museum in the private and public sphere.

Many people believe that the Western Australian Museum is entirely funded by government. It is not, and nor are the majority of the world’s great museums. The Museum is encouraged to secure as much income as possible through commercial activities, corporate partnerships, sponsorships and philanthropic community support. This is where the Western Australian Museum Foundation comes into its own.

The Foundation was established in 1995 as the fundraising partner of the Western Australian Museum. It is self-funding, is independent from the Museum, and has played a critical role in encouraging the community to support the Museum through donations and bequests. It also manages the Museum’s sponsorship and corporate partnership programs.

Supporters of the Foundation share the Museum’s Mission and Values, and the belief that it is to the people of Western Australia that the collections and knowledge within the Western Australian Museum belong. The Foundation has, therefore, a naturally shared responsibility to ensure the Museum continues to grow and preserve its assets on behalf of all Western Australians; to better engage with the community and provide real public value both now and into the future.

The Foundation and its supporters recognise the very generous investment of $428.3 million by the Western Australian Government to develop a world-class museum with new facilities, refurbished spaces and exciting new museum experiences. This infrastructure investment provides Western Australia with the springboard to create a museum worthy of the 21st Century: a goal that can only be attained in partnership with the community. The Foundation is continuing its work to establish a $30 million Western Australian Museum Discovery Fund.

Sponsors, Benefactors and Granting Agencies

The profile and activities of the Museum are enhanced by the acquisitions, exhibitions and research made possible, in part, by the generosity of our sponsors and benefactors. Generating income in tightened economic times is always a challenge and it is with immense gratitude that the Foundation acknowledges the generous donors, benefactors, corporate sponsors and partners which have helped make 2014–15 such an exceptional year. Highlights include:

The Last Gentlemen of War Exhibition

The Foundation worked closely with the Museum to generate support for this exhibition from both the German and Australian communities. The Foundation is particularly grateful for the commitment by DB Schenker Australia to provide logistical and in-kind support for the movement of objects between Germany and Australia, as well as interstate between the Australian War Memorial and the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle. It is also grateful to Torsten Ketelsen, Honorary German Consul to WA, Peter Abetz MLA, and members of the Western Australian German Business Association Inc.

North West Shelf Shipping Services Company (NWSSSC)

NWSSSC has held the naming rights sponsorship of NWS Shipping Theatre at the WA Maritime Museum for 10 years. The Foundation was delighted that in this reporting year NWSSSC committed to a further 5-year sponsorship term (2015–20). This enables the Museum to continue to program events in the theatre.

Famelab 2015

Following the inaugural FameLab science communication program presented in Australia 2014, the Foundation was pleased to once again be associated with FameLab 2015. As a Presenting Partner, the Museum hosted the WA semi-final and the Australian National Final at the WA Maritime Museum. Both finals achieved audience numbers significantly larger than any other State with the National final a sell-out success. With the Foundation’s guidance, FameLab 2015 achieved its community partnership funding targets, with special acknowledgement and thanks to The McCusker Charitable Foundation for its continued support of this important science communications initiative. The Foundation is also pleased to confirm that the strong community support for FameLab across Western Australia has translated into an agreement between the British Council and the Museum to host the FameLab National Finals in WA at the Museum for the next three years up to and include 2017.

Sydney Kormoran Project

The Foundation continued its work to secure both in-kind and financial support for this expedition through 2014–15.

This was underpinned by the Foundation’s own contribution of $170,000 to support this project. Special recognition must be given to the outstanding support of project partners Curtin University and DOF Subsea. The Foundation would particularly like to acknowledge the support and community leadership of GMA Garnet Group Managing Director Torsten Ketelsen on this project.

The Foundation, working in tandem with Curtin University, has helped raise more than $940,000 in cash and more than $1.8m of in-kind support from 17 project supporters.

Emerging Curators Program

The WA Museum and Foundation has been in discussions with Tim Ungar, Professor Lyn Beazley, Broome Aboriginal Elder Peter Yu and others to explore how the Museum might create an Aboriginal Emerging Curators program. The Foundation is particularly grateful to Tim Ungar and his family who have agreed to fund a detailed scoping study to progress this endeavor.

Lustre: Pearling & Australia

The Foundation worked closely with the Museum in 2015 to generate support for this exhibition and we are particularly grateful to Cygnet Bay Pearls for their in-kind support of the exhibition, as well as their offer to donate significant pearls and jewellery to the State’s Collection at the conclusion of the exhibition. The Foundation would also like to acknowledge the support of Singapore Airlines and Singapore Airlines Cargo throughout the year and acknowledge their contribution to this exhibition by providing air travel for curators, and cargo services for international loan objects. We also welcome B.Fremantle as our accommodation partner.

Woodside Marine Biodiversity Research Project

This reporting year marks the final year in the current 5-year term of the Woodside Collection Project (Kimberley) 2008-15, one of the most comprehensive marine biodiversity research projects ever conducted in the region. The Woodside Museum partnership is now in its 17th year and has achieved outstanding results in environment research, discovering more than 1,000 new marine species. The Foundation is working closely with Woodside to plan the next exciting phase of our long term partnership.

A full list of our generous sponsors, benefactors and granting agencies is shown in the appendices.

Western Australian Museum Foundation Board of Governors

Member

Mr Justin Mannolini (Chair)
The Hon Julie Bishop MP (Deputy Chair)
Dr Marina Hogan (Deputy Chair)
Mr Nick Brasington
Mr Fred Chaney
Mr James McClements
Mr Tim Lester
Ms Sara Clafton (ex-officio member)
— retired 29th April 2015
Ms Irene Stainton (ex-officio member)
—appointed 29th April 2015
Mr Alec Coles OBE (ex-officio member)

Western Australian Museum Foundation Investment Committee

Member

Mr Brendon Shepherd (Chair)
— appointed 20th August 2014
Mr James McClements
Mr Justin Mannolini
Mr Fred Chaney

Friends of the Western Australian Museum

The Friends of the WA Museum are an integral part of the Museum’s support structure, promoting and encouraging the Museum’s development journey for the past 20 years.

A key highlight for the Friends this year was the opportunity to support the Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul exhibition held at the WA Museum — Perth. The Friends were delighted to be able to enrich the visit experience of one of the Afghan National Museum curators who accompanied the exhibition, Mr Basir Kamjo, by sponsoring English lessons for him. Mr Kamjo then used his improved comprehension to engage more fully with Museum staff and visitors, enhancing the exhibition experience for everyone involved. The Friends also worked closely with Museum staff to ensure the Community Day hosted at the Perth site as part of the extended cultural public program for the exhibition was a success.

This year also saw the Friends working closely with the Museum and Curtin University on the very successful Sydney Kormoran expedition project. The Friends provided staff to support the governance structure for the project, as well as activity around fundraising.

The Friends of the WA Museum also formed a partnership with St George’s College, the oldest residential college at The University of Western Australia, and welcomed 100 new members. The Museum is grateful for the ongoing support it receives from all Friends members. The Friends membership at 30 June 2015 was 362, up from 265 last year.

Volunteers at the Western Australian Museum

Volunteers play a very important role at the WA Museum and their ability to enhance the Museum’s programs, events and operations is greatly valued. Through the engagement of volunteers, the Museum is able to extend its reach into the community, facilitating the two-way transfer of skills, knowledge and information. The Museum believes that volunteers must also benefit from the relationship and this is achieved through training, skills development and opportunities to meet a variety of new people.

The Museum has two Volunteer Coordinators based in Perth and Fremantle, and additional volunteering opportunities are managed at other sites across the organisation. In this reporting year, the Museum has been assisted by the commitment of 354 volunteers who dedicated an estimated 35,577 hours service, valued at $892,503.32.

Significant Issues Impacting the Agency

Current and Emerging Issues and Trends

Agency Expenditure Review

The Museum, along with the rest of the cultural agencies funded by the State, is currently the subject of an Agency Expenditure Review of the Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA), being conducted by Treasury. Treasury expects that the Agency Expenditure Review process will deliver a program of savings to the State Government, in addition to current efficiency and workforce renewal program savings already in place. DCA expects to know the results of the review towards the end of the 2015 calendar year.

Perth Site Closure

In order to redevelop the Western Australian Museum site in the Perth Cultural Centre, into the New Museum for Western Australia, the site will need to close for approximately four years to allow construction works to take place. This will involve handing the whole site over to a Managing Contractor in mid-2016, which means all galleries need to be emptied of their current exhibitions and displays. Galleries at the Perth site will progressively close, starting in January 2016.

The Museum will maintain a level of presence at the Perth site for as long as possible, operating as normally as possible. A decant management plan has been developed and the Museum is finalising an engagement strategy to keep the Museum active while the decant of collections progresses, and while the Perth site is temporarily closed to the public.

A workforce plan has been developed to support staff to implement the temporary closure project and manage the accompanying, significant organisational change.

Seizing the Science Agenda

In April 2015, the Premier, the Hon. Colin Barnett MLA, released A Science Statement for Western Australia — Growing Western Australia recognising the important role science plays in a modern, sophisticated economy and a safe, healthy society. Five areas were identified in which the advancement and application of science can help broaden the economy and create a new generation of employment: mining and energy, medicine and health, agriculture and food, biodiversity and marine science, and radio astronomy. The Premier’s Statement also emphasised the importance of the Western Australian Museum as a scientific institution, noting the Government’s commitment to a New Museum for Western Australia with investment in stateof- the-art collections, research, exhibition and experiential facilities.

Work by Museum scientists currently contributes to all five areas in which the advancement and application of science has been identified as important. The Museum’s key strengths are in researching the State’s biodiversity, marine science, geodiversity, and earth and planetary sciences, and it is essential that the Museum seizes the opportunities presented by the science agenda and continues its ground-breaking work in these areas, despite possible further funding and resource restrictions.

Major scientific projects that will contribute to realising the aspirations of the Premier’s Science Statement and support the development of the New Museum include:

• the multi-award winning Woodside Marine Biodiversity project that has documented the marine diversity of north-western Australian water (Dampier and Kimberley), with over 15,000 specimens collected and more than 1,000 new species described to date;
• Conservation Systematics of the Western Pilbara Fauna, a 5-year project funded by the Gorgon Net Conservation Benefits Fund, that is providing a systematic framework to understand the diversity, relationships and distributions of a broad range of selected terrestrial and marine animal taxa of the western Pilbara bioregion using a multi-gene approach;
• the Desert Fireball Network, a joint project with Curtin University and other international partners providing both samples from meteorites and tracked trajectories of those meteorites observed by 35 cameras extending across the Mid- West to South Australia, and enabling us to understand the origins of our solar system; and
• analysis of natural materials to establish and estimate the mineral diversity of the State, and investigation of mineral deposits and their genesis.

The Museum’s scientific and cultural research affirms and underpins the organisation’s role as the premier collecting organisation in the State, delivering the best public value to a wide range of audiences through relevant, engaging and inspiring museum experiences.

Master Planning in the Regions

Albany

The Museum has received support from the Great Southern Development Commission and the City of Albany to redevelop the WA Museum — Albany site as a Heritage Precinct. Preliminary planning work has been completed, however the development of a Conservation Management Plan for the site highlighted some deficiencies with the current Amity Precinct including the size, location and specifications of the Eclipse Building not meeting future Museum requirements; as well as the overall Precinct’s significant distance from the CBD. Discussions with the City of Albany regarding the future potential of the Town Hall building for displaying culture and the arts collections are ongoing, however, Master Planning for the Museum site has been halted while discussions about the most effective way to deliver cultural content right across the City continue.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder

In May 2015 the WA Museum — Kalgoorlie- Boulder received a Goldfields Esperance Development Commission Community Chest Grant of $20,000 to part-fund a Master Plan for the re-development and reorganisation of the Kalgoorlie- Boulder site, with specific reference to its relationship with Hannan Street North. The Museum provided matching funding and tenders were called to carry out the planning process, with three tenders received and currently under evaluation. The Museum will progress this work with the aim of providing a better targeted, more engaging museum experience through an improved range of cultural resources, infrastructure and commercial opportunities, that will help drive tourism to and through the Goldfields.

Sydney Kormoran: Next Stage

The very successful expedition to reinvestigate and reimage the World War II wrecks of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran collected huge quantities of raw data that need to be analysed, collated and applied to a range of projects. Only the in-water phase of the project was fully-funded and the Museum must now begin to secure the resources required to interpret and display the information obtained. This includes providing access to several hundred thousand new still and video images collected from the heritagelisted sites; working with project partners Curtin University on the 3D reconstructions of the sites for exhibition purposes; and ensuring the Museum can commemorate the 75th anniversary of the battle on 19 November 2016, honouring all 645 hands lost on board Sydney, as well as those who lost their lives on Kormoran.

Museum CEO Alec Coles is the delegated management authority for the care of the wreck sites under the Commonwealth legislation. The Museum will also be using the data collected to inform a heritage management plan for the wreck sites which are located 200km off the Western Australian coast, 2,500 metres deep.

Dirk Hartog 400th Anniversary

In early 2015 the Museum was approached by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to take the lead in the development of a number of interpretive elements relating to the 400th anniversary commemorations of the landing of Dirk Hartog in Western Australia. These include:

• tour the exhibition Accidental Encounters to the WA Museum regional sites as well as to the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre in time for the anniversary;
• create replica copies of the Hartog and de Vlamingh plates and install them at Cape Inscription on Dirk Hartog Island;
• develop interpretive panels to be installed at the Lighthouse Keeper’s quarters on Dirk Hartog Island;
• commission a contemporary art piece for the foreshore in Denham;
• develop and install interpretive panels relating to Dirk Hartog and the VOC at the re-developed Denham foreshore;
• upgrade the existing Dirk Hartog and VOC display in the Shark Bay World heritage Discovery Centre, and
• develop and deliver a Dirk Hartog and VOC website in time for the anniversary.

The Museum sits on the Dirk Hartog Anniversary Implementation Committees with the DPC (Chair); Shire of Shark Bay (SoSB); Gascoyne Development Commission; the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands.

The Museum chairs the Interpretive Project Control Group and works with DPC, SoSB and DPaW. Some of the significant issues around developing the interpretations on Dirk Hartog Island are the isolation of the site, the extremely harsh environmental conditions, and the security issues associated with isolation.

Economic and Social Trends

Impact of Increasing Negative Gap between Costs and Resources

It is likely that, for the foreseeable future, coping with increasing costs in a constrained funding environment will be a way of life for much of the public sector. The Museum will continue to exercise financial rigor in all its operations while delivering the best service possible. However, the increasing disparity between costs and public funding will inevitably impact on services and ultimately on KPI results.

Increased Community Engagement

The WA Museum has always maintained its commitment to community engagement but recognises that now, more than ever, effective consultation with as wide an audience as possible is essential to ensuring the New Museum for Western Australia is owned, valued and used by all Western Australians. Now is the time for the Museum to renegotiate its relationship with Western Australia and the world, and to reaffirm its commitment to involve people in sharing their stories, opinions and experiences. Only in this way can the Museum deliver on its promise to be at the heart of its community, reflecting the spirit of its people.

Disclosures and Legal Compliance

Independent Auditor's Report

To the Parliament of Western Australia

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM Report on the Financial Statements

I have audited the accounts and financial statements of The Western Australian Museum.

The financial statements comprise the Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2015, the Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of Changes in Equity and Statement of Cash Flows for the year then ended, and Notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.

Trustee’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

The Trustee is responsible for keeping proper accounts, and the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and the Treasurer’s Instructions, and for such internal control as the Trustee determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility

As required by the Auditor General Act 2006, my responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements based on my audit. The audit was conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Those Standards require compliance with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and that the audit be planned and performed to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Museum’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of the accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the Trustee, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

I believe that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my audit opinion.

Opinion

In my opinion, the financial statements are based on proper accounts and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Western Australian Museum at 30 June 2015 and its financial performance and cash flows for the year then ended. They are in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and the Treasurer’s Instructions.

Report on Controls

I have audited the controls exercised by The Western Australian Museum during the year ended 30 June 2015.

Controls exercised by The Western Australian Museum are those policies and procedures established by the Trustee to ensure that the receipt, expenditure and investment of money, the acquisition and disposal of property, and the incurring of liabilities have been in accordance with legislative provisions.

Trustee’s Responsibility for Controls

The Trustee is responsible for maintaining an adequate system of internal control to ensure that the receipt, expenditure and investment of money, the acquisition and disposal of public and other property, and the incurring of liabilities are in accordance with the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Treasurer’s Instructions, and other relevant written law.

Auditor’s Responsibility

As required by the Auditor General Act 2006, my responsibility is to express an opinion on the controls exercised by the The Western Australian Museum based on my audit conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the adequacy of controls to ensure that the Museum complies with the legislative provisions. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement and include an evaluation of the design and implementation of relevant controls.

I believe that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my audit opinion.

Opinion

In my opinion, the controls exercised by The Western Australian Museum are sufficiently adequate to provide reasonable assurance that the receipt, expenditure and investment of money, the acquisition and disposal of property, and the incurring of liabilities have been in accordance with legislative provisions during the year ended 30 June 2015.

Report on the Key Performance Indicators

I have audited the Key Performance Indicators of The Western Australian Museum for the year ended 30 June 2015.

The Key Performance Indicators are the Key Effectiveness Indicators and the Key Efficiency Indicators that provide information on outcome achievement and service provision.

Trustee’s Responsibility for the Key Performance Indicators

The Trustee is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the Key Performance Indicators in accordance with the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Treasurer’s Instructions and for such controls as the Trustee determines necessary to ensure that the Key Performance Indicators fairly represent indicated performance.

Auditor’s Responsibility

As required by the Auditor General Act 2006, my responsibility is to express an opinion on the Key Performance Indicators based on my audit conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the Key Performance Indicators. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the Key Performance Indicators. In making these risk assessments the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Trustee’s preparation and fair presentation of the Key Performance Indicators in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the relevance and appropriateness of the Key Performance Indicators for measuring the extent of outcome achievement and service provision.

I believe that the audit evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my audit opinion.

Opinion

In my opinion, the Key Performance Indicators of The Western Australian Museum are relevant and appropriate to assist users to assess the Museum’s performance and fairly represent indicated performance for the year ended 30 June 2015.

Independence

In conducting this audit, I have complied with the independence requirements of the Auditor General Act 2006 and Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards, and other relevant ethical requirements.

Matters Relating to the Electronic Publication of the Audited Financial Statements and Key Performance Indicators

This auditor’s report relates to the financial statements and Key Performance Indicators of the The Western Australian Museum for the year ended 30 June 2015 included on the Museum’s website. The Museum’s management is responsible for the integrity of the Museum’s website. This audit does not provide assurance on the integrity of the Museum’s website. The auditor’s report refers only to the financial statements and Key Performance Indicators described above. It does not provide an opinion on any other information which may have been hyperlinked to/from these financial statements or Key Performance Indicators. If users of the financial statements and Key Performance Indicators are concerned with the inherent risks arising from publication on a website, they are advised to refer to the hard copy of the audited financial statements and Key Performance Indicators to confirm the information contained in this website version of the financial statements and Key Performance Indicators.

Don Cunninghame
Assistant Auditor General Financial Audit
Delegate of the Auditor General for Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
28 August 2015

Certification of Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2015

The accompanying financial statements of the Western Australian Museum have been prepared in compliance with the provisions of the Financial Management Act 2006 from proper accounts and records to present fairly the financial transactions for the financial year ended 30 June 2015 and the financial position as at 30 June 2015.

At the date of signing we are not aware of any circumstances which would render any particulars included in the financial statements misleading or inaccurate.

Tony Loiacono
Chief Financial Officer
24 August 2015

Alan Robson
Chair, the Western Australian Museum Board
24 August 2015 

Steve Scudamore
Member, the Western Australian Museum Board
24 August 2015

Financial Statements

Statement of Comprehensive Income

For the year ended 30 June 2015

Cost of Services

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Expenses
Employee benefits expense	8	19, 623	18, 675
Supplies and services	9	6, 581	6, 829
Depreciation and amortisation expense	10	1, 864	1, 977
Accomodation expenses	11	4, 825	3, 475
Grants and subsidies	12	329	295
Cost of sales	15	727	1, 005
Other expenses	13	633	2,455
Total cost of services		34, 582	34, 711

Income

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Revenue
User charges and fees	14	2, 718	2, 349
Sales	15	1, 354	2, 540
Commonwealth grants and contributions	16	510	414
Interest revenue	17	116	133
Other revenue	18	5, 076	5, 679
Total revenue		9, 774	11, 115
Total income other than income from State Government		9, 774	11, 115
NET COST OF SERVICES		24, 808	23, 596

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Income from State Government
Service appropriation		23, 696	30, 469
Royalties for Regions fund		2, 177	53
Liabilities assumed		-	(4, 492)
Assets transferred		-	1, 236
Services received free of charge		76	124
State grants and contributions		1, 076	141
Total income from State Government	19	27, 025	27, 531
SURPLUS FOR THE PERIOD		2, 217	3, 935
Other comprehensive income
Items not reclassified subsequently to profit or loss
Changes in asset revaluation surplus	25, 26	3, 617	(92, 761)
Total other comprehensive income		3, 617	(92, 761)
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD		5, 834	(88, 826)

Statement of Financial Position

For the year ended 30 June 2015

Assets

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	33	1,082	543
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	20,33	2,995	2,313
Inventories	21	631	729
Receivables	22	1,663	1,807
Other current assets	23	1,286	1,173
Total current assets		7,657	6,565
Non-current assets
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	20	-	643
Amounts receivable for services	24	33,727	31,145
Property, plant and equipment	25	98,390	95,926
Museum Collection	26	347, 549	347,063
Total non-current assets		479,666	474,777
TOTAL ASSETS		487,323	481,342

Liabilities

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current liabilities
Payables	29	1,654	1,419
Provisions	30	2,574	3,289
Other current liabilities	31	34	57
Total current liabilities		4,262	4,765
Non-current liabilities
Provisions	30	1,348	698
Total non-current liabilites		1,348	698
TOTAL LIABILITIES		5,610	5,463
NET ASSETS		481,713	475,879

Equity

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
	32
Contributed equity		14,671	14,671
Reserves		209,805	206,188
Accumulated surplus		257,237	255,020
TOTAL EQUITY		481,713	475,879

Statement of Changes in Equity

For the year ended 30 June 2015

	Note	Contributed Equity  $000	Reserves $000	Accumulated Surplus $000	Total Equity $000
Balance at 1 July 2013	32	15,216	298,949	251,085	565,250
Surplus/(deficit)		-	-	3,935	3,935
Revaluation decrement		-	(92,761)	-	(92,761)
Total comprehensive income for the year		-	(92,761)	-	(88,826)
Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners
Capital appropriations		-	-	-	-
Other contributions by owners		-	-	-	-
Distributions to owners		-	-	-	-
Land sale in Geraldton		(545)	-	-	(545)
Total		(545)	-	-	(545)
Balance at 30 June 2014		14,671	206,188	255,020	475,879
Balance at 1 July 2014	32	14,671	206,188	255,020	475,879
Surplus/(deficit)		-	-	2,217	2,217
Revalutation decrement		-	3,617	-	3,617
Total comprehensive income for the year		-	3,617	2,217	5,834
Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners
Capital appropriations		-	-	-	-
Other contributions by owners		-	-	-	-
Distributions to owners		-	-	-	-
Land sale in Geraldton		-	-	-	-
Total		-	3,617	2,217	5,834
Balance at 30 June 2015		14,671	209,805	257,237	481,713

Statement of Cash Flows

For the year ended 30 June 2015

	Note	2015 $000	2014 $000
Cash flows from State Government
Service appropriation		21,114	27,891
Royalties for Regions fund		2,177	53
Capital Contributions		-	-
Holding account drawdowns		-	-
Cash and cash equivalents transferred		-	508
State grants and contributions		1,076	141
Net cash provided by State Government		24,367	28,593
Cash flows from operating activities
Payments
Employee benefits		(19,576)	(19,199)
Supplies and services		(7,388)	(10,398)
Accomodation		(4,794)	(3,475)
Grants and subsidies		(219)	(295)
GST payments on purchases		(1,205)	(1,300)
GST payments to taxation authority		-	(2)
Other payments		(735)	(3,629)
Receipts
Sale of goods and services		1,375	2,540
User charges and fees		2,670	2,349
Commonwealth grants and contributions		495	414
Interest received		142	114
GST receipts on sales		501	554
GST receipts from taxation authority		710	467
Other receipts		4,768	3,780
Net cash used in operating activities	33	(23,256)	(28,080)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Purchase of non-current physical assets		(533)	(204)
Net cash used in investing activities		(533)	(204)
Cash flows from financing activities
Repayment of borrowings		-	-
Net cash (used) in financing activities		-	-
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents		578	309
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		3,499	3,190
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period	33	4,077	3,499

The Statement of Cash Flows should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 June 2015.

1. Australian Accounting Standards

General

The Western Australian Museum’s financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2015 have been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards. The term ‘Australian Accounting Standards’ includes Standards and Interpretations issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB).

The Western Australian Museum has adopted any applicable new and revised Australian Accounting Standards from their operative dates.

Early Adoption of Standards

The Western Australian Museum cannot early adopt an Australian Accounting Standard unless specifically permitted by TI 1101 Application of Australian Accounting Standards and Other Pronouncements. Partial exemption permitting early adoption of AASB 2015- 7 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Fair Value Disclosures of Not-for- Profit Public Sector Entities has been granted. Aside from AASB 2015-7, there has been no early adoption of any other Australian Accounting Standards that have been issued or amended (but not operative) by the Western Australian Museum for the annual reporting period ended 30 June 2015.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

A) General Statement

The Western Australian Museum is a not-for-profit reporting entity that prepares general purpose financial statements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards, the Framework, Statements of Accounting Concepts and other authoritative pronouncements of the AASB as applied by the Treasurer’s Instructions. Several of these are modified by the Treasurer’s Instructions to vary application, disclosure, format and wording.

The Financial Management Act 2006 and the Treasurer’s Instructions impose legislative provisions that govern the preparation of financial statements and take precedence over Australian Accounting Standards, the Framework, Statements of Accounting Concepts and other authoritative pronouncements of the AASB.

Where modification is required and has had a material or significant financial effect upon the reported results, details of that modification and the resulting financial effect are disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

B) Basis of Preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting using the historical cost convention, except for land, buildings and Museum collections which have been measured at fair value.

The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements have been consistently applied throughout all periods presented unless otherwise stated. The financial statements are presented in Australian dollars and all values are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars ($'000).

Note 4 ‘Judgements made by management in applying accounting policies’ discloses judgements that have been made in the process of applying the Western Australian Museum’s accounting policies resulting in the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Note 5 ‘Key sources of estimation uncertainty’ discloses key assumption made concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the end of the reporting period, that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

C) Reporting Entity

The reporting entity is The Western Australian Museum which is a body corporate with perpetual succession and an agency of the State of Western Australia.

D) Contributed Equity

AASB Interpretation 1038 Contributions by Owners Made to Wholly-Owned Public Sector Entities requires transfers in the nature of equity contributions, other than as a result of a restructure of administrative arrangements, to be designated by the Government (the owner) as contributions by owners (at the time of, or prior to transfer) before such transfers can be recognised as equity contributions. Capital appropriations have been designated as contributions by owners by TI 955 Contributions by Owners made to Wholly Owned Public Sector Entities and have been credited directly to Contributed equity.

The transfers of net assets to/from other agencies, other than as a result of a restructure of administrative arrangements, are designated as contributions by owners where the transfers are non-discretionary and non-reciprocal.

E) Income

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognised and measured at the fair value of consideration received or receivable. Revenue is recognised for the major business activities as follows:

Sale of goods

Revenue is recognised from the sale of goods and disposal of other assets when the significant risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the purchaser and can be measured reliably.

Provision of services

Revenue is recognised by reference to the stage of completion of the transaction.

Interest

Revenue is recognised as the interest accrues.

Service appropriations

Service Appropriations are recognised as revenues at fair value in the period in which the Western Australian Museum gains control of the appropriated funds. The Western Australian Museum gains control of appropriated funds at the time those funds are deposited to the bank account or credited to the ‘Amount receivable for services’ (holding account), held at Treasury.

Grants, donations, gifts and other non-reciprocal contributions

Revenue is recognised at fair value when the Western Australian Museum obtains control over the assets comprising the contributions, usually when cash is received.

Other non-reciprocal contributions that are not contributions by owners are recognised at their fair value. Contributions of services are only recognised when a fair value can be reliably determined and the services would be purchased if not donated.

Royalties for Regions funds are recognised as revenue at fair value in the period in which the Western Australian Museum obtains control over the funds. The Western Australian Museum obtains control of the funds at the time the funds are deposited into the Western Australian Museum’s bank account.

Gains

Realised and unrealised gains are usually recognised on a net basis. These include gains arising on the disposal of non-current assets and some revaluations of noncurrent assets.

F) Property, Plant and Equipment

Capitalisation/Expensing of Assets

Items of property, plant and equipment costing $5,000 or more are recognised as assets and the cost of utilising assets is expensed (depreciated) over their useful lives. Items of property, plant and equipment costing less than $5,000 are immediately expensed direct to the Statement of Comprehensive Income (other than where they form part of a group of similar items which are significant in total).

Initial Recognition and Measurement

Property, plant and equipment are initially recognised at cost.

For items of property, plant and equipment acquired at no cost or for nominal cost, the cost is the fair value at the date of acquisition.

Subsequent Measurement

Subsequent to initial recognition of an asset, the revaluation model is used for the measurement of land and buildings and historical cost for all other property, plant and equipment. Land and buildings are carried at fair value less accumulated depreciation (buildings only) and accumulated impairment losses. All other items of property, plant and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.

Where market-based evidence is available, the fair value of land and buildings is determined on the basis of current market values determined by reference to recent market transactions. When buildings are revalued by reference to recent market transactions, the accumulated depreciation is eliminated against the gross carrying amount of the asset and the net amount restated to the revalued amount.

In the absence of market-based evidence, fair value of land and buildings is determined on the basis of existing use. This normally applies where buildings are specialised or where land use is restricted. Fair value for existing use assets is determined by reference to the cost of replacing the remaining future economic benefits embodied in the asset, i.e. the depreciated replacement cost. Where the fair value of buildings is determined on the depreciated replacement cost basis, the gross carrying amount and the accumulated depreciation are restated proportionately. Fair value for restricted use land is determined by comparison with market evidence for land with similar approximate utility (high restricted use land) or market value of comparable unrestricted land (low restricted use land).

Land and buildings are independently valued annually by the Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation Services) and recognised annually to ensure that the carrying amount does not differ materially from the asset’s fair value at the end of the reporting period.

The most significant assumptions and judgements in estimating fair value are made in assessing whether to apply the existing use basis to assets and in determining estimated economic life. Professional judgement by the valuer is required where the evidence does not provide a clear distinction between market type assets and existing use assets.

Derecognition

Upon disposal or derecognition of an item of property, plant and equipment or Museum collection, any revaluation surplus relating to that asset is retained in the asset revaluation surplus.

Asset Revaluation Surplus

The asset revaluation surplus is used to record increments and decrements on the revaluation of non-current assets on a class of assets basis as described in Note 25 ‘Property, plant and equipment’ and Note 26 ‘Museum collections’.

Depreciation

All non-current assets having a limited useful life are systematically depreciated over their estimated useful lives in a manner that reflects the consumption of their future economic benefits.

Depreciation is calculated using the straight line method, using rates which are reviewed annually. Estimated useful lives for each class of depreciable asset are:

Depreciable Asset	Estimated Useful Life
Buildings and Monuments	50 years
Plant, equipment and vehicles	5 to 20 years
Office equipment	4 to 10 years
Leasehold improvements	Balanceof the current terms of lease
Land is not depreciated.

G) Museum Collections

Capitalisation/Expensing of Assets

No capitalisation threshold is applied to Museum collection items. These items are considered to form part of a collection and are disclosed separately in the Statement of Financial Position.

Initial Recognition and Measurement

Collection items may be acquired through collection, purchase or donation. Acquisitions of collection items are recorded at cost when purchased and at fair value when donated.

Subsequent Measurement

The collections of the Western Australian Museum are valued every five years and will be revalued in the financial year 2018/2019. The revaluation of the collections is conducted by independent valuers using a combination of market values and recollection costs as applicable.

Depreciation

Collection items controlled by the Western Australian Museum are classified as heritage assets. They are anticipated to have very long and indeterminate useful lives. Their service potential has not, in any material sense, been consumed during the reporting period. As such, no amount for depreciation is recognised in respect of these assets.

H) Intangible Assets

Capitalisation/Expensing of Assets

Acquisitions of intangible assets costing $5,000 or more and internally generated intangible assets costing $50,000 or more are capitalised. The cost of utilising the assets is expensed (amortised) over their useful life. Costs incurred below these thresholds are immediately expensed directly to the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Intangible assets are initially recognised at cost. For assets acquired at no cost or for nominal cost, the cost is their fair value at the date of acquisition. The cost model is applied for subsequent measurement requiring the asset to be carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Amortisation for intangible assets with finite useful lives is calculated for the period of the expected benefit (estimated useful life which is reviewed annually) on the straight line basis. All intangible assets controlled by the Western Australian Museum have a finite useful life and zero residual value.

The expected useful lives for each class of intangible asset are:

Intangible Asset	Expected Useful Life
Software (a)	3 to 10 years

(a) Software that is not integral to the operation of any related hardware.

Computer Software

Software that is an integral part of the related hardware is treated as property, plant and equipment. Software that is not an integral part of the related hardware is recognised as an intangible asset. Software costing less than $5,000 is expensed in the year of acquisition.

Website Costs

Website costs are charged as expenses when they are incurred unless they relate to the acquisition or development of an asset when they may be capitalised and amortised. Generally, costs in relation to feasibility studies during the planning phase of a website, and ongoing costs of maintenance during the operating phase are expensed. Costs incurred in building or enhancing a website that can be reliably measured, are capitalised to the extent that they represent probable future economic benefits.

I) Impairment of Assets

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are tested for any indication of impairment at the end of each reporting period. Where there is an indication of impairment, the recoverable amount is estimated. Where the recoverable amount is less than the carrying amount, the asset is considered impaired and is written down to the recoverable amount and an impairment loss is recognised. Where an asset measured at cost is written down to recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss. Where a previously revalued asset is written down to recoverable amount, the loss is recognised as a revaluation decrement in other comprehensive income. As the Western Australian Museum is a not-for-profit entity, unless a specialised asset has been identified as a surplus asset, the recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and depreciated replacement cost.

The risk of impairment is generally limited to circumstances where an asset’s depreciation is materially understated, where the replacement cost is falling or where there is a significant change in useful life. Each relevant class of assets is reviewed annually to verify that the accumulated depreciation/amortisation reflects the level of consumption or expiration of the asset’s future economic benefits and to evaluate any impairment risk from falling replacement costs.

Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life and intangible assets not yet available for use are tested for impairment at the end of each reporting period irrespective of whether there is any indication of impairment.

The recoverable amount of assets identified as surplus assets is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and the present value of future cash flows expected to be derived from the asset. Surplus assets carried at fair value have no risk of material impairment where fair value is determined by reference to market-based evidence. Where fair value is determined by reference to depreciated replacement cost, surplus assets are at risk of impairment and the recoverable amount is measured. Surplus assets at cost are tested for indications of impairments at the end of each reporting period.

J) Leases

The Western Australian Museum holds operating leases for vehicles. Operating leases are expensed on a straight line basis over the lease term as this represents the pattern of benefits derived from the leased vehicles.

K) Financial Instruments

In addition to cash, the Western Australian Museum has two categories of financial instruments:

• Loans and receivables; and
• Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost.

Financial instruments have been disaggregated into the following classes:

• Financial Assets - Cash and cash equivalents, Restricted cash and cash equivalents, Receivables, Amounts receivable for services
• Financial Liabilities - Payables, Other borrowings

Initial recognition and measurement of financial instruments is at fair value which normally equates to the transaction cost or the face value. Subsequent measurement is at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

The fair value of short-term receivables and payables is the transaction cost or the face value because there is no interest rate applicable and subsequent measurement is not required as the effect of discounting is not material.

L) Cash and Cash Equivalents

For the purpose of the Statement of Cash Flows, cash and cash equivalent (and restricted cash and cash equivalent) assets comprise cash on hand and short-term deposits with original maturities of three months or less that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and which are subject to insignificant risk of changes in value.

M) Accrued Salaries

Accrued salaries (see Note 29 ‘Payables’) represent the amount due to staff but unpaid at the end of the financial year. Accrued salaries are settled within a fortnight of the financial year end. The Western Australian Museum considers the carrying amount of the accrued salaries to be equivalent to its fair value.

N) Amounts Receivable for Services (Holding Account) 

The Western Australian Museum receives income from the State Government partly in cash and partly as an asset (holding account receivable). The accrued amount appropriated is accessible on the emergence of the cash funding requirement to cover leave entitlements and asset replacement.

O) Inventories

Inventories are measured at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Costs are assigned by the method most appropriate for each particular class of inventory, with the majority being valued on an average cost basis. Inventories not held for resale are measured at cost unless they are no longer required, in which case they are measured at net realisable value.

P) Receivables

Receivables are recognised at original invoice amount less an allowance for any uncollectible amounts (i.e. impairment). The collectability of receivables is reviewed on an ongoing basis and any receivables identified as uncollectible are written-off against the allowance account. The allowance for uncollectible amounts (doubtful debts) is raised when there is objective evidence that the Western Australian Museum will not be able to collect the debts. The carrying amount is equivalent to fair value as it is due for settlement within 30 days.

Q) Payables

Payables are recognised when the Western Australian Museum becomes obliged to make future payments as a result of a purchase of assets or services. The carrying amount is equivalent to fair value, as settlement is generally within 30 days.

R) Provisions

Provisions are liabilities of uncertain timing or amount and are recognised where there is a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event and when the outflow of resources embodying economic benefits is probable and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation. Provisions are reviewed at the end of each reporting period.

PROVISIONS — EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

All annual leave and long service leave provisions are in respect of employees’ services up to the end of the reporting period.

Annual leave

Annual leave is not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months after the end of the reporting period and is therefore considered to be ‘other long term employee benefits’. the annual leave liability is recognised and measured at the present value of amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled using the remuneration rate expected to apply at the time of settlement.

When assessing expected future payments consideration is given to expected future wage and salary levels including non-salary components such as employer superannuation contributions, as well as the experience of employee departures and periods of service. The expected future payments are discounted using market yields at the end of the reporting period on national government bonds with terms to maturity that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows.

The provision for annual leave is classified as a current liability as the Western Australian Museum does not have an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months after the end of the reporting period.

Long service leave

A liability for long service leave is recognised after an employee has completed two years of service based on remuneration rates current as at the end of the reporting period.

An actuarial assessment of long service leave was undertaken by PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Actuaries as at 30 June 2014 and determined that the liability measured using the short-hand measurement technique above was not materially different from the liability determined using present value of expected future payments. This calculation is consistent with the Western Australian Museum experience of employee retention and leave taken.

Unconditional long service leave provisions are classified as current liabilities as the Western Australian Museum does not have an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months after the end of the reporting period. Pre-conditional and conditional long service leave provisions are classified as non-current liabilities because the Western Australian Museum has an unconditional right to defer the settlement of the liability until the employee has completed the requisite years of service.

Purchased leave

The provision for purchased leave relates to Public Service employees who have entered into an agreement to self-fund up to an additional 10 weeks leave per calendar year. The provision recognises the value of salary set aside for employees and is measured at the undiscounted amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled.

Superannuation

The Government Employees Superannuation Board (GESB) and other fund providers administer public sector superannuation arrangements in Western Australia in accordance with legislative requirements. Eligibility criteria for membership in particular schemes for public sector employees varies according to commencement and implementation dates.

Eligible employees contribute to the Pension Scheme, a defined benefit pension scheme closed to new members since 1987, or the Gold State Superannuation Scheme (GSS), a defined benefit lump sum scheme closed to new members since 1995.

Employees commencing employment prior to 16 April 2007 who were not members of either the Pension Scheme or the GSS became non-contributory members of the West State Superannuation Scheme (WSS). Employees commencing employment on or after 16 April 2007 became members of the GESB Super Scheme (GESBS). From 30 March 2012, existing members of the WSS or GESBS and new employees became able to choose their preferred superannuation fund provider. The Western Australian Museum makes contributions to GESB or other fund provider on behalf of employees in compliance with the Commonwealth Government’s Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992. Contributions to these accumulated schemes extinguish the Western Australian Museum’s liability for superannuation charges in respect of employees who are not members of the Pension Scheme or GSS.

The GSS is a defined benefit scheme for the purposes of employees and whole-ofgovernment reporting. However, it is a defined contribution plan for agency purposes because the concurrent contributions (defined contributions) made by the Western Australian Museum to GESB extinguishes the agency’s obligations to the related superannuation liability.

The Western Australian Museum has no liabilities under the Pension Scheme or the GSS. The liabilities for the unfunded Pension Scheme and the unfunded GSS transfer benefits attributable to members who transferred from the Pension Scheme, are assumed by the Treasurer. All other GSS obligations are funded by concurrent contributions made by the Western Australian Museum to the GESB.

The GESB makes all benefit payments in respect of the Pension Scheme and GSS, and is recouped from the Treasurer for the employer’s share.

PROVISIONS — OTHER

Employment on-costs

Employment on-costs, including workers’ compensation insurance, are not employee benefits and are recognised separately as liabilities and expenses when the employment to which they relate has occurred. Employment on-costs are included as part of ‘Other expenses’ and are not included as part of the Western Australian Museum’s ‘Employee benefits expense’. The related liability is included in ‘Employment on-costs provision’.

S) Superannuation Expense 

Superannuation expense is recognised in the profit or loss of the Statement of Comprehensive and comprises employer contributions paid to GSS (concurrent contributions), WSS, the GESBS, and other superannuation funds.

T) Assets and Services Received Free of Charge or for Nominal Cost

Assets or services received free of charge or for nominal cost that the Western Australian Museum would otherwise purchase if not donated, are recognised as income at the fair value of the assets or services where they can be reliably measured. A corresponding expense is recognised for services received. Receipt of assets are recognised in the Statement of Financial Position.

Assets or services received from other State Government agencies are separately disclosed under Income from State Government in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

U) Comparative Figures 

Comparative figures are, where appropriate, reclassified to be comparable with the figures presented in the current financial year.

3. Department of Cultures and the Arts 

The Department of Culture and the Arts provides support to agencies in the Culture and Arts portfolio. The Department receives an appropriation for capital projects, global maintenance program and minor assets equipment as part of the PC Replacement Program. These resources provided to the Western Australian Museum, are paid for by the Department and have been treated as ‘Services received free of charge’ in the Statement of Comprehensive Income. Refer to Note 19 ‘ Income from state government’ for information on services received free of charge.

The Department provides shared corporate services to the Western Australian Museum that are not recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

4. Judgements Made By Management in Applying Accounting Policies 

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements about the application of accounting policies that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements. The Western Australian Museum evaluates these judgements regularly.

OPERATING LEASE COMMITMENTS

The Western Australian Museum has entered into commercial leases rather than finance leases for motor vehicles. The Western Australian Museum has determined that the lessor retains substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the vehicles. Accordingly, these leases have been classified as operating leases.

5. Key sources of Estimation Uncertainty 

Key estimates and assumptions concerning the future are based on historical experience and various other factors that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

LONG SERVICE LEAVE

Several estimations and assumptions used in calculating the Western Australian Museum’s long service provision include expected future salary rates, discount rates, employee retention rates and expected future payments. Changes in these estimations and assumptions may impact on the carrying amount of the long service leave provision.

6. Machinery of Government Change 

Arising from the machinery of government changes, employing powers under Public Sector Management Act 1994 and budget appropriations are now in place with effect from 1 July 2013 for the Western Australian Museum. Salary costs, superannuation, fringe benefits tax expenses which were previously appropriated to the Department of Culture and the Arts and treated as ‘Services received free of charge’ are now being appropriated directly to the Western Australian Museum.

This has following impact:

(a) Employee benefit provisions, such as annual leave, long service leave and employment on-costs, previously held by the Department of Culture and the Arts are transferred to the Western Australian Museum with effect from 1 July 2013. See Note 19 ‘Income from State Government’ and 30 ‘Provisions’.

(b) Account balances, such as accrued salaries and leave liability accounts with Treasury WA previously held by the Department of Culture and the Arts are transferred to the Western Australian Museum with effect from 1 July 2013. See Note 19 ‘Income from State Government’, Note 20 ‘Restricted cash and cash equivalents’ and Note 24 ‘Amounts Receivable for Services (Holding Account)’.

7. Disclosure of Changes in Accounting Policy and Estimates

Initial Application of an Australian Accounting Standard

The Western Australian Museum has applied the following Australian Accounting Standards effective, or adopted, for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 July 2014 that impacted on the Western Australian Museum:

Standard:

Standard
INT 21	Levies This Interpretation clarifies the circumstances under which a liability to pay a government levy imposed should be recognised. There is no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum at the reporting date.
AASB 10	Consolidated Financial Statements This Standard, issued in August 2011, supersedes AASB 127 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements and Int 112 Consolidation – Special Purpose Entities, introducing a number of changes to accounting treatments. The adoption of the new Standard has no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum as it does not impact accounting for related bodies and the Western Australian Museum has no interests in other entities
AASB 11	Joint Arrangements This Standard, issued in August 2011, supersedes AASB 131 Interests in Joint Ventures, introduces new principles for determining the type of joint arrangement that exists, which are more aligned to the actual right and obligations of the parties to the arrangement. There is no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum as the new standard continues to require the recognition of the Western Australian Museum’s share of assets and share of liabilities for the unincorporated joint operation.
AASB 12	Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities This Standard, issued in August 2011, supersedes disclosure requirements under AASB 127 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements, AASB 128 Investments in Associates and AASB 131 Interests in Joint Ventures. There is no financial impact.
AASB 127	Separate Financial Statements This Standard, issued in August 2011, supersedes AASB 127 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements and Separate Financial Statements removing the consolidation requirements of the earlier standard whilst retaining the accounting and disclosure requirements for the preparation of separate financial statements. There is no financial impact.
AASB 128	Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures This Standard supersedes AASB 128 Investments in Associates, introducing a number of clarifications for the accounting treatments of changed ownership interest. The adoption of the new Standard has no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum as it does not hold investments in associates and joint ventures.
AASB 1031	Materiality This Standard supersedes AASB 1031 (February 2010), removing Australian guidance on materiality that is not available in IFRSs and refers to other Australian pronouncements that contain guidance on materiality. There is no financial impact.
AASB 1055	Budgetary Reporting This Standard requires specific budgetary disclosures in the general purpose financial statements of not-for-profit entities within the General Government Sector. The Western Australian Museum will be required to disclose additional budgetary information and explanations of major variances between actual and budgeted amounts, though there is no financial impact.
AASB 2011-7	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from the Consolidation and Joint Arrangements Standards [AASB 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 101, 107, 112, 118, 121, 124, 132, 133, 136, 138, 139, 1023 & 1038 and Int 5, 9, 16 & 17] This Standard gives effect to consequential changes arising from the issuance of AASB 10, AASB 11, AASB 127 Separate Financial Statements and AASB 128 Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures. There is no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum.
AASB 2012-3	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Offsetting Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities [AASB 132] This Standard adds application guidance to AASB 132 to address inconsistencies identified in applying some of the offsetting criteria, including clarifying the meaning of “currently has a legally enforceable right of set-off” and that some gross settlement systems may be considered equivalent to net settlement. There is no financial impact.
AASB 2013-3	Amendments to AASB 136 — Recoverable Amount Disclosures for Non- Financial Assets. This Standard introduces editorial and disclosure changes. There is no financial impact.
AASB 2013-4	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Novation of Derivatives and Continuation of Hedge Accounting [AASB 139] This Standard permits the continuation of hedge accounting in circumstances where a derivative, which has been designated as a hedging instrument, is novated from one counterparty to the central counterparty as a consequence of laws or regulations. The Western Australian Museum does not routinely enter into derivatives or hedges, therefore there is no financial impact.
AASB 2013-8	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Australian Implementation Guidance for Not-for-Profit Entities - Control and Structured Entities [AASB 10, 12 &1049]. The amendments, issued in October 2013, provide significant guidance in determining whether a not-for-profit entity controls another entity when financial returns are not key attributes of the investor’s relationship. The Standard has no financial impact in its own right, rather the impact results from the adoption of the amended AASB10.
AASB 2013-9	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Conceptual Framework, Materiality and Financial Instruments. Part B of this omnibus Standard makes amendments to other Standards arising from the deletion of references to AASB 1031 in other Standards for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2014. It has no financial impact.
AASB 2014-1	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards Part A of this Standard consists primarily of clarifications to Accounting Standards and has no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum. Part B of this Standard has no financial impact as the Western Australian Museum contributes to schemes that are either defined contribution plans, or deemed to be defined contribution plans. Part C of the Standard has no financial impact as it removes references to AASB 1031 Materiality from a number of Accounting Standards.
AASB 2015-7	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Fair Value Disclosures of Not-for-Profit Public Sector Entities This Standard relieves not-for-profit public sector entities from the reporting burden associated with various disclosures required by AASB 13 for assets within the scope of AASB 116 that are held primarily for their current service potential rather than to generate future net cash inflows. It has not financial impact.

Voluntary Change in Accounting Policy 

The Western Australian Museum did not make any voluntary change in accounting policy in 2014–15.

Future Impact of Australian Accounting Standards Not Yet Operative 

The Western Australian Museum cannot early adopt an Australian Accounting Standard unless specifically permitted by TI 1101 Application of Australian Accounting Standards and Other Pronouncements or by an exemption from TI 1101. By virtue of a limited exemption, the Western Australian Museum has early adopted AASB 2015-7 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Fair Value Disclosures of Not-for- Profit Public Sector Entities. Where applicable, the Western Australian Museum plans to apply the following Australian Accounting Standards from their application date:

Standard		Operative For Reporting Periods Beginning On/After
AASB 9	Financial Instruments This Standard supersedes AASB 139 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, introducing a number of changes to accounting treatments. The mandatory application date of this Standard is currently 1 January 2018 after being amended by AASB 2012-6, AASB 2013-9, and, AASB 2014-1 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2018
AASB 15	Revenue from Contracts with Customers This Standard establishes the principles that the Western Australian Museum shall apply to report useful information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a contract with a customer. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2017
AASB 2010-7	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from AASB 9 (December 2010) [AASB 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 101, 102, 108, 112, 118, 120, 121, 127, 128, 131, 132, 136, 137, 139, 1023 & 1038 and Int 2, 5, 10, 12, 19 & 127] This Standard makes consequential amendments to other Australian Accounting Standards and Interpretations as a result of issuing AASB 9 in December 2010. The mandatory application date of this Standard has been amended by AASB 2012-6 and AASB 2014-1 to 1 January 2018. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2018
AASB 2013-9	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Conceptual Framework, Materiality and Financial Instruments. Part C of this omnibus Standard defers the application of AASB 9 to 1 January 2017 (Part C). The application date of AASB 9 was subsequently deferred to 1 January 2018 by AASB 2014-1. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of AASB 9.	1 January 2015
AASB 2014-1	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards Part E of the Standard makes amendments to AASB 9 and consequential amendments to other Standards. It has not yet been assessed by the Western Australian Museum to determine the application or potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2018
AASB 2014-3	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Accounting for Acquisitions of Interests in Joint Operations [AASB 1 & 11] The Western Australian Museum establishes Joint Operations in pursuit of its objectives ad does not routinely acquire interest in Joint Operations. Therefore, there is no financial impact on application of the Standard.	1 January 2016
AASB 2014-4	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Clarification of Acceptable Methods of Depreciation and Amortisation [AASB 116 & 138] The adoption of the new Standard has no financial impact for the Western Australian Museum as depreciation and amortisation is not determined by reference to revenue generation, but by reference to consumption of economic benefits.	1 January 2016
AASB 2014-5	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from AASB 15 This Standard gives effect to the consequential amendments to Australian Accounting Standards (including Interpretations) arising from the issuance of AASB 15. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2017
AASB 2014-7	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from AASB 9 (December 2014) This Standard gives effect to the consequential amendments to Australian Accounting Standards (including Interpretations) arising from the issuance of AASB 9 (December 2014). The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2018
AASB 2014-8	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from AASB 9 (December 2014) — Application of AASB 9 (December 2009) and AASB 9 (December 2010) [AASB 9 (2009 & 2010)] This Standard makes amendments to AASB 9 Financial Instruments (December 2009) and AASB 9 Financial Instruments (December 2010), arising from the issuance of AASB 9 Financial Instruments in December 2014. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2015
AASB 2014-9	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Equity Method in Separate Financial Statements [AASB 1, 127 & 128] This Standard amends AASB 127, and consequentially amends AASB 1 and AASB 128, to allow entities to use the equity method of accounting for investments in subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates in their separate financial statements. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2016
AASB 2014-10	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture [AASB 10 & 128] This Standard amends AASB 10 and AASB 128 to address an inconsistency between the requirements in AASB 10 and those in AASB 128 (August 2011), in dealing with the sale or contribution of assets between an investor and its associate or joint venture. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2016
AASB 2015-1	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Annual Improvements to Australian Standards — Annual Improvements to Australian Accounting Standards 2012-2014 Cycle [AASB 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 110, 119, 121, 133, 134, 137, &140] These amendments arise from the issuance of International Financial Reporting Standard Annual Improvements to IFRSs 2012-2014 Cycle in September 2014, and editorial corrections. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application or the potential impact of the Standard.	1 January 2016
AASB 2015-2	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Disclosure Initiative: Amendments to AASB 101 [AASB 7, 101, 134 & 1049] This Standard amends AASB 101 to provide clarification regarding the disclosure requirements in AASB 101. Specifically, the Standard proposes narrow-focus amendments to address some of the concerns expressed about existing presentation and disclose requirements and to ensure entities are able to use judgement when applying a Standard in determining what information to disclose in their financial statements. There is no financial impact.	1 January 2016
AASB 2015-3	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from the Withdrawal of AASB 1031 Materiality This Standard completes the withdrawal of references to AASB 1031 in all Australian Accounting Standards and Interpretations, allowing that Standard to effectively be withdrawn. There is no financial impact.	1 July 2015
AASB 2015-6	Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards — Extending Related Party Disclosures to Not-for-Profit Public Sector Entities [AASB 10, 124 & 1049] The amendments extend to scope of AASB 124 to include application by not-for-profit public sector entities. Implementation guidance is included to assist application of the Standard by not-for-profit public sector entities. The Western Australian Museum has not yet determined the application of the Standard, though there is no financial impact.	1 July 2016

8. Employee Benefits Expense

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Wages and salaries (a)	15, 201	15, 031
Superannuation - defined contribution plans (b)	1,695	1,612
Annual leave	1,187	1,357
Personal leave	528	191
Long service leave	822	259
Other related expenses	190	225
Total	19,623	18,675

(a) Includes the value of the fringe benefit to the employee plus the fringe benefits tax component, leave entitlements.

(b) Defined contribution plans include West State, Gold State and GESB Super Scheme and other eligible funds.

Employment on-costs, such as workers’ compensation insurance, are included at Note 13 ‘Other expenses’. Employment on-costs liability is included at Note 30 ‘Provisions’.

9. Supplies and Services

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Consultants and contractors	1,719	1,949
Consumables	813	690
Insurance premiums	477	652
Advertising	403	336
Repairs and maintenance	540	328
Exhibition fees	661	1,164
Freight and cartage	250	263
Lease and hire costs	434	265
Travel	371	306
Communications	200	199
Printing	129	145
Sundry equipment	253	185
Legal fees	1	8
Other	330	339
Total	6,581	6,829

10. Depreciation and Amortisation Expense

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Depreciation
Buildings	1,196	1,370
Plant and equipment	296	220
Furniture and fittings	100	116
Total depreciation	1,592	1,706
Amortisation
Leasehold improvements	272	271
Intangibles	-	-
Total amortisation	272	271
Total Depreciation and Amortisation	1,864	1,977

11. Accomodation Expenses

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Utilities	1,448	1,630
Repairs and maintenance	2,430	1,072
Cleaning	437	385
Security	346	254
Other	164	134
Total	4,825	3,475

12. Grants and Subsidies

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Refund of restricted grants	-	63
Payment to Curtin University Project HMAS Sydney survey	313	165
Friends of Western Australian Museum	-	29
University Western Australia contribution	-	30
Arc Linkage Adelaide University	13	5
Other contribution	3	3
Total	329	295

13. Other Expenses

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Workers' compensation insurance	348	292
Audit fees	47	46
Employment on-costs	191	187
Research and development costs expensed	19	14
Other (a)	28	1,916
Total	633	2,455

(a) Include $1.9 million paid to Department of Culture and Arts in 2014 for prior years salary cost previously recognised as services received free of charge.

14. User Charges and Fees

	2015 $000	2014 $000
User charges	1,933	1,424
Fees	785	925
Total	2,718	2,349

15. Trading Profit

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Sales	1,354	2,540
Cost of sales:        Opening inventory        Purchases	(729) (629)	(905) (829)
Closing inventory	631	729
Cost of Goods Sold	(727)	(1,005)
Trading Profit	627	1,535

16. Commonwealth Grants and Contributions

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Recurrent	510	414
Total	510	414

Included in recurrent grants are non-reciprocal grants received from various Commonwealth providers with remaining unspent funds as follows:

Australian Biological Resources Study	26	34
Department of the Environment	117	175
Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums	6	26
Department of Social Services	35	-
Total	184	235

17. Interest Revenue

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Interest revenue	116	133
Total	116	133

18. Other Revenue

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Donations and contributions	826	1,362
Grants and subsidies	1,766	1,834
Recoups of expenditure	2,329	2,350
Royalties	5	-
Other revenue	150	133
Total	5,076	5,679

19. Other Revenue

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Appropriation received during the year:        Service appropriation (a)	23,696	30,469
	23,696	30,469
Royalties for regions:        Regional Community Services Fund (b)	2,177	53
	2,177	53
Liabilities assumed by other State government agencies during the period: (c)        Annual leave provision        Long service leave provision        Provision for employment on-costs	- - -	(1,374) (2,484) (634)
Total liabilities assumed	-	(4,492)
Assets transferred from/(to) other State government agencies during the period. (c)
Accrued salaries 27th pay holding account with Treasury WA	-	508
Leave liability holding account with Treasury WA	-	728
	-	1,236
Services received free of charge from other State government agencies during the period. (d) Determined on the basis of the following estimates provided by agencies:        Services provided by the Department of Culture and the Arts:               Minor equipmemt - PC Replacement Program	76	119
	76	119
Services provided by the State Solicitor office	-	5
	-	5
State grants and contributions (e)	1,076	141
	1,076	141
Total income from State Government	27,025	27,531

(a) Service appropriations fund the net cost of services delivered. Appropriation revenue comprises a cash component and a receivable (asset). The receivable (holding account) comprises the depreciation expense for the year and any agreed increase in leave liability during the year.

(b) Funding was received to support the operation of three regional Western Australian museums, namely Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie-Boulder during the 2014–15 financial year.

(c) Discretionary transfers of assets (including grants) and liabilities between State Government agencies are reported under Income from State Government. Accrued salaries and leave liability accounts with Treasury WA as well as the annual leave, long service leave and on-costs provisions were transferred in 2014 from Department of Culture and the Arts to the Western Australian Museum. See Note 6 ‘Machinery of government change’, Note 24 ‘Amounts receivable for services (Holding Account)’ and Note 30 ‘Provisions’.

(d) Assets or services received free of charge or for nominal cost are recognised as revenue at fair value of the assets and/or services that can be reliably measured and which would have been purchased if they were not donated. Contributions of assets or services in the nature of contributions by owners are recognised direct to equity.

(e) Included in State grants and contributions are non-reciprocal grants received from various State Government providers with remaining unspent fund as follows:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Remaining unspent grant funds
Department of Culture and the Arts	49	91
Department of Environment and Conservation	598	939
Western Australian Marine Science Institution	196	18
Department of Parks and Wildlife	3	7
Department of Housing	65	-
Total	911	1,055

20. Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalent

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Specific purpose grant funds (a)	2,251	2,313
Accrued salaries holding account with Treasury WA (b)	744	-
	2,995	2,313
Non-current
Accrued salaries holding account with Treasury WA (b)	-	643
	-	643
Total	2,995	2,956

(a) Cash held in these accounts includes specific purpose account balances and unspent specific purpose grants.

(b) Funds held in the holding account at WA Treasury for the purpose of meeting the 27th pay in a financial year that occurs every 11th year (2015–16).

21. Inventories

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Inventories held for resale:        Finished goods:               Museum publications               Museum shops' stocks	152 479	275 454
Total	631	729

22. Receivables

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Receivables	1,295	1,502
Accrued interest	20	46
GST receivable	348	259
Total	1,663	1,807

The Western Australian Museum does not hold any collateral or other credit enhancements as security for receivables.

23. Other Current Assets

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Insurance prepaid	741	628
Exhibition fees:        History of the World in 100 objects	348	259
Total	1,286	1,173

24. Amount Receivable for Services

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Non-current
Asset replacement (a)	32,999	30,417
Leave liability (b)	728	728
Total	33,727	31,145

(a) Represents the non-cash component of service appropriations. It is restricted in that it can only be used for asset replacement or payment of leave liability. See Note 2(n) ‘Amount receivable for services (holding account)’.

(b) Represents leave liability holding account with Treasury WA. See also Note 19 ‘Income from State Government’.

25. Property, Plant and Equipment

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Land
At fair value	26,900	26,727
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	26,900	26,727
Buildings
At fair value (a)	61,988	59,739
Accumulated depreciation	-	-
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	61,988	59,739
Leasehold improvements
At cost	10,892	10,892
Accumulated amortisation	(3,086)	(2,814)
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	7,806	8,078
Computers, plant, equipment and transport
At cost	5,091	4,591
Accumulated depreciation	(3,801)	(3,715)
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	1,290	876
Furniture and fittings
At cost	4,974	4,974
Accumulated depreciation	(4,568)	(4,468)
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	406	506
Total	98,390	95,926

(a) Land and buildings were revalued as at 1 July 2015 by the Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation Services). The valuations were performed during the year ended 30 June 2015 and recognised at 30 June 2015. In undertaking the revaluation, fair value was determined by reference to market values for land: $365,000 (2014: $1,017,300). For the remaining balance, fair value of buildings was determined on the basis of depreciated replacement cost and the fair value of land was determined on basis of comparison with market evidence for land with low level utility (high restricted use land).

25. Museum Collections (Continued)

 Reconciliations of the carrying amounts of property, plant, equipment and vehicles at the beginning and end of the reporting periods are set out in the table below:

	Land $000	Buildings $000	Leasehold Improvements  $000	Computer, Plant, Equipment and Vehicles $000	Furniture and Fittings $000	Total $000
2015
Carrying amount at start of year	26,727	59,739	8,078	876	506	95,926
Additions				724		724
Transfers						-
Other disposals				(13)		(13)
Revaluation increments/(decrements)	173	3,444				3,617
Impairment losses						-
Impairment losses reversed						-
Depreciation	-	(1,195)	(272)	(297)	(100)	(1,864)
Carrying Amount at end of Year	26,900	61,988	7,806	1,290	406	98,390
2014
Carrying amount at start of year	27,226	61,521	8,349	900	616	98,612
Additions	-	-	-	238	6	244
Transfers	-	-	-	-	-	-
Other disposals	(397)	(149)	-	(42)	-	(588)
Revaluation increments/(decrements)	(102)	(263)	-	-	-	(365)
Impairment losses	-	-	-	-	-	-
Impairment losses reversed	-	-	-	-	-	-
Depreciation	-	(1,370)	(271)	(220)	(116)	(1,977)
Carrying amount at end of Year	26,727	59,739	8,078	876	506	95,926

26. Museum Collections

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Museum Collections
At fair value	347,549	347,063
At cost	-	-
Accumulated depreciation	-	-
Accumulated impairment losses	-	-
	347,549	347,063
Carrying value at start of year	347,063	438,658
Additions	-	3
Donations	486	798
Disposals	-	-
Transfers	-	-
Revaluation decrements (a)	-	(92,396)
Carrying amount at end of Year	347,549	347,063

The Western Australian Museum appointed Rodney Hyman Asset Services Pty Limited (RHAS) following a competitive tendering process to value the collections in 2014.RHAS is led by principals Rodney Hyman and Cameron Dunsford.

Rodney Hyman — Chartered Machinery & Business Assets Valuer, Certified Practising Valuer, FRICS, LEAPI, ASA, FPINZ, FAMI, NCJV, CPM.

Cameron Dunsford — Certified Practising Valuer, BBus FAPI, MRICS, SPINZ.

(a) The fair value of the collections has been based on the AASB 13 ‘Fair value measurement’. After the 2014 valuation exercise, the collections recorded a decrement of $92.396 million.

27. Fair Value Measurements

	Level 1 $000	Level 2 $000	Level 3 $000	Fair Value at end of Period  $000
Assets measured at fair value
2015
Land (Note 25)	-	365	26,535	26,900
Buildings (Note 25)	-	-	61,988	61,988
Museum collections (Note 26)	-	59,289	288,260	347,549
Total	-	59,654	376,783	436,437
2014
Land (Note 25)	-	1,017	25,710	26,727
Buildings (Note 25)	-	-	59,739	59,739
Museum collections (Note 26)	-	59,289	287,774	347,063
Total	-	60,306	373,223	433,529

TRANSFER BETWEEN LEVEL 2 AND 3

The land has been valued by Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation services). Some reserves land have been reclassified in Level 3 and valued on current use as these land were not inspected by Western Australian Land Information Authority in 2015. There has been no other transfers between Levels 1,2 or 3 during the current and previous period.

VALUATION TECHNIQUES TO DERIVE LEVEL 2 FAIR VALUES

Level 2 fair values of land are derived using the market approach. The land has been valued by Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation services), market evidence of sales prices of comparable land in close proximity is used to determine price per square metre.

27. Fair Value Measurements (Continued)

	Land $000	Buildings $000	Collections $000
Fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
2015
Fair value at start of period	25,710	59,739	287,774
Additions	-	-	486
Revaluation increments/(decrements) recognised in profit or loss	-	-	-
Revaluation increments/(decrements) recognised in Other Comprehensive Income	173	3,444	-
Transfers (from/(to) Level 2)	652		-
Disposals	-	-	-
Depreciation expense	-	(1,195)	-
Fair Value at End of Period	26,535	61,988	288,260
Total gains or losses for the period included in profit or loss, under 'Other Gains'	173	3,444	-
2014
Fair value at start of period	27,226	61,521	438,658
Additions	-	-	801
Revaluation increments/(decrements) recognised in profit or loss	-	-	-
Revaluation increments/(decrements) recognised in Other Comprehensive Income	(102)	(263)	(92,396)
Transfers (from/(to) Level 2)	(1,017)		(59,289)
Disposals	(397)	(149)	-
Depreciation expense	-	(1,370)	-
Fair Value at end of Period	25,710	59,739	287,774
Total gains or losses for the period included in profit or loss, under 'Other Gains'	(102)	(263)	(92,396)

Valuation Processes

There were no changes in valuation techniques during the period.

Transfers in and out of a fair value level are recognised on the date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. Transfers are generally limited to assets newly classified as non-current assets held for sale as Treasurer’s instructions require valuations of land, buildings and infrastructure to be categorised within Level 3 where the valuations will utilise significant Level 3 inputs on a recurring basis.

Land (Level 3 fair values)

Fair value for restricted use land is based on comparison with market evidence for land with low level utility (high restricted use land). The relevant comparators of land with low level utility is selected by the Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation Services) and represents the application of a significant Level 3 input in the valuation methodology. The fair value measurement is sensitive to values of comparator land, with higher values of comparator land correlating with higher estimated fair values of land.

Restoration costs are estimated for the purpose of returning the site to a vacant and marketable condition an include costs for: building demolition, clearing, re-zoning and an allowance for time factors.

Buildings and Infrastructure (Level 3 fair values)

Fair value for existing use specialised buildings and infrastructure assets is determined by reference to the cost of replacing the remaining future economic benefits embodied in the asset, i.e. the depreciated replacement cost. Depreciated replacement cost is the current replacement cost of an asset less accumulated depreciation calculated on the basis of such cost to reflect the already consumed or expired economic benefit, or obsolescence, and optimisation (where applicable) of the asset. Current replacement cost is generally determined by reference to the market-observable replacement cost of a substitute asset of comparable utility and the gross project size specifications.

Valuation using depreciation replacement cost utilises the significant Level 3 input, consumed economic benefit/obsolescence of asset which is estimated by the Western Australian Land Information Authority (Valuation Services). The fair value measurement is sensitive to the estimate of consumption/obsolescence, with higher values of the estimate correlating with lower estimated fair values of buildings and infrastructure.

Basis of Valuation

In the absence of market-based evidence, due to the specialised nature of some non-financial assets, these assets are valued at Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy on an existing use basis. The existing use basis recognises that restrictions or limitations have been placed on their use and disposal when they are not determined to be surplus to requirements. These restrictions are imposed by virtue of the assets being held to deliver a specific community service and the Western Australian Museum’s enabling legislation.

	Fair Value 2015 $000	Fair Value 2014 $000	Valuation Technique(s)	Unobservable Inputs	Range of Unobservable Inputs (weighted average) 2015	Range of Unobservable Inputs (weighted average) 2014	Relationship of Unobservable Inputs to Fair Value
Land — Reserves	1,516	1,030	Current use	Selection of reserve land with similar approximate utility	$0-$4.47per m2 ($0.06 per m2)	$0–$0.33 per m. ($0.03 per m.)	Higher value of similar land increases estimated fair value
Land — other	25,019	24,680	Current use	Selection of land with similar approximate utility	$125–$2,279 per m. ($684 per m.)	$125–$2,279 per m. ($635 per m.)	Higher value of similar land increases estimated fair value
Building	61,988	59,739	Depreciated replacement cost	Consumed economic benefit	0.6% – 2.3% per year (1.69% per year)	2% – 2.09% per year (2.04% per year)	Greater consumption benefit lowers the fair value
Collections	288,260	287,774	Depreciated replacement cost	Historical cost per collections	$0.08–$ 2.2m ($40.12 per object on average)	$0.08–$ 2.2m ($39.96 per object on average)	Higher historical cost increases the fair value

Reconciliations of the opening and closing balances are provided in Notes 25 and 26.

28. Impairment of Assets

There were no indications of impairment to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets at 30 June 2015.

The Western Australian Museum held no goodwill or intangible assets with an indefinite useful life during the reporting period. At the end of the reporting period there were no intangible assets not yet available for use.

All surplus assets at 30 June 2015 have either been classified as assets held for sale or written off.

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Trade payables	511	358
Accrued expenses	880	865
GST payable	121	50
Other	142	146
Total Payables	1,654	1,419

30. Provisions

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Employment benefits provision:        Annual leave (a)        Long service leave (b)        Purchase leave (c)	967 1,216 10	1,212 1,577 19
	2,193	2,808
Other provisions:        Employment on-costs (d)	381	481
	2,574	3,289
Non-current
Employee benefits:        Long service leave (b)	1,201	627
Other provisions:        Employment on-costs(d)	147	71
Total	1,348	698

(a) Annual leave liabilities have been classified as current as there is no unconditional right to defer settlement for at least 12 months after the end of the reporting period. Assessments indicate that actual settlement of the liabilities is expected to occur as follows:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Within 12 months of the end of the reporting period	879	941
More than 12 months after the reporting period	88	271
Total	967	1,212

(b) Long service leave liabilities have been classified as current where there is no unconditional right to defer settlement for at least 12 months after the end of the reporting period. Assessments indicate that actual settlement of the liabilities is expected to occur as follows:

30. Provisions (Continued)

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Within 12 months of the end of the reporting period	800	1,577
More than 12 months after the reporting period	1,617	627
Total	2,417	2,204

(c) Provision for purchased leave relates to Public Service employees who have entered into an agreement to self-fund up to an additional 10 weeks leave per calendar year. The provision recognises the value of salary set aside for employees and is measured at the undiscounted amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled.

(d) The settlement of annual and long service leave liabilities gives rise to the payment of employment on-costs including workers’ compensation insurance. The provision is the present value of expected future payments. The associated expense, apart from the unwinding of the discount (finance cost), is disclosed in Note 13 ‘Other expenses’

Movement in Other Provisions

Movements in each class of provisions during the financial year, other than employee benefits, are set out below:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Employment on-cost provision
Carrying amount at start of period	552	-
Additional/(reversals of) provisions recognised	(24)	552
Payments/other sacrifices of economic benefits	-	-
Carrying Amount at End of Period	528	552

31. Other Liabilities

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Current
Income received in advance	33	51
Unclaimed monies	1	6
Total	34	57

32. Equity

The Western Australian Government holds the equity interest in the Western Australian Museum on behalf of the community. Equity represents the residual interest in the net assets of the Western Australian Museum. The asset revaluation surplus represents that portion of equity resulting from the revaluation of non-current assets.

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Contributed equity
Balance at start of period	14,671	15,216
Contributions by owners:        Capital appropriations	-	-
Distributions to owners:        Transfer of net assets to other agencies:                Land sale in Geraldton        Total distributions to owners	- -	(545) (545)
Balance at end of period	14,671	14,671
Reserves
Asset revaluation surplus:        Balance at start of period        Net revaluation increments/(decrements):               Land               Buildings               Museum collections        Balance at end of period	206,188 173 3,444 - 209,805	298,949 (102) (263) (92,396) 206,188
Accumulated surplus:        Balance at start of period        Result for the period        Balance at end of period	255,020 2,217 257,237	251,085 3,935 255,020
Total Equity at End of Period	481,713	475,879

33. Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows

Reconciliation of Cash

Cash at the end of the financial year as shown in the Statement of Cash Flows is reconciled to the related items in the Statement of Financial Position as follows:

	2015 ($000)	2014 ($000)
Cash and cash equivalents	1,082	543
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (Note 20 ‘Restricted cash and cash equivalents’)	2,995	2,956
TOTAL	4,077	3,499

Reconciliation of Net Cost of Services to Net Cash Flows Provided By/Used in Operating Activities

	2015 ($000)	2014 ($000)
Net cost of services	(24,808)	(23,596)
Non-cash items
Depreciation and amortisation expense(a)	1,864	1,977
Resources received free of charge(b)	76	124
Assets assumed — consumables (minor equipment)(b)	-	-
Donations to collection(c)	(486)	(798)
Adjustment for other non-cash items	-	43
(Increase)/decrease in assets:
Current receivables(d)	233	(1,140)
Current inventories	98	177
Other assets	532	(1,174)
Increase/(decrease) in liabilities:
Current payables(d)	189	(2,914)
Other current liabilities	(23)	(455)
Net GST receipts/(payments)(e)	(710)	(464)
Change in GST in receivables/payables(f)	(221)	140
NET CASH USED IN OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(23,256)	(28,080)

(a) See Note 10 ‘Depreciation and amortisation expense’.
(b) See Note 19 ‘Income from State Government’.
(c) See Note 26 ‘Museum Collections’.
(d) Note that the Australian Taxation Office receivable/payable in respect of GST and the receivable/payable in respect to the sale/purchase of non-current assets are not included in these items as they do not form part of the reconciling items.
(e) This is the net GST paid/received, i.e. cash transactions.
(f) This reverses out the GST in receivables and payables. 

34. Commitments

	2015 ($000)	2014 ($000)
Non-cancellable operating lease commitments
Commitments for minimum lease payments are payable as follows:
Within 1 year	43	38
Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years	38	68
TOTAL	81	106

The 13 motor vehicle leases (2014: 13 leases) are considered non-cancellable operating leases with lease expenditure payable monthly in advance. These commitments are all inclusive of GST.

35. Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets

At the reporting date, the Western Australian Museum had no contingent liabilities or assets.

36. Events Occurring After the End of the Reporting Period

There are no significant events occurring after the end of the reporting period that would have a material financial effect on the financial statements of the Western Australian Museum.

37. Explanatory Statement

This statement provides details of any significant variations between estimates which has been approved by the board of the Western Australian Museum and actual results for 2015 and between the actual results for 2014 and 2015. Significant variations are considered to be those greater than 10% or $10 million.

Significant Variances Between Estimated and Actual Result for 2015

	Estimate $000	Actual $000	Variation Over/(Under) $000
Expenses
Supplies and services	7,389	6,581	(808)
Grants and subsidies	29	329	300
Cost of sales	629	727	98
Other expenses	385	633	248
Income
Commonwealth grants and contributions	437	510	73
Interest revenue	140	116	(24)
Other revenue	4,196	5,076	880
State grants and contributions	1,488	1,076

Supplies and Services

Supplies and services underspent by $0.808 million (11%) due to timing difference for capital expenditure ($0.321 million) and grants supplies ($0.332 million) which were budgeted in 2014–15 and not yet spent. $0.155 million relate to underspent in exhibitions supplies and services.

Grants and Subsidies

Grants and subsidies exceeded estimates by $0.300 million (1024%) due to payment to Curtin University for work on the HMAS Sydney project. See to Note 12 ‘Grants and subsidies’ for more information on grants.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales exceeded estimates by $0.098 million (16%) due to increase in merchandise purchased for the Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures and Dinosaur Discovery exhibitions.

 Other Expenses

Other expenses exceeded the estimates by $0.248 million (64%) due workers’ compensation insurance adjustment of $0.168 million, $0.079 million to research and development works for exhibitions and on-cost for grants projects.

Commonwealth Grants and Contributions 

Commonwealth grants and contributions exceeded the estimates by $0.73 million (17%) due to additional grants received for the Historic Shipwrecks Program study.

Interest Revenue 

Interest revenue was below estimates by $0.024 million (17%) due to lower grant balance and bank balance during the year.

Other Revenue

Other revenue exceeded the estimates by $0.880 million (21%) due to donated collections valued at $0.486 million, additional recoup to the Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) for capital works ($0.305 million) and additional grant income received (0.089 million).

State Grants and Contributions 

State Grants and contributions were below estimates by $0.412 million (28%) due to reduction in grants received for the Gorgon project.

37. Explanatory Statement (Continued)

Significant Variances between Actual Results for 2014 and 2015

	2015 $000	2014 $000	Variation Over/(Under) $000
Expenses
Accommodation expenses	4,825	3,475	1,350
Grants and subsidies	327	295	34
Cost of sales	727	1,005	(278)
Other expenses	633	2,455	(1,822)
Income
User charges and fees	2,718	2,349	369
Sales	1,354	2,540	(1,186)
Commonwealth Grants and Contributions	510	414	96
Interest revenue	116	133	(17)
Other revenue	5,076	5,679	(603)
Service appropriation	23,696	30,469	(6,773)
Royalties for Regions fund	2,177	53	2,124
Services received free of charge	76	124	(48)
State grants and contributions	1,076	141	935

Accommodation Expense

Accommodation expense increased by $1.350 million (39%) which is due to the limestone restoration and building refurbishment works at Shipwreck Galleries in Fremantle.

Grant and Subsidies

Grant and subsidies increased by $0.034 million (12%) due to payment made to the Curtin University Australia for the HMAS Sydney project. See Note 12 ‘Grant and subsidies’.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales decreased by $0.278 million (28%) due reduction in the purchase of merchandise products.

Other Expenses

Other expenses decreased by $1.822 million (74%) due to a one-off payment of $1.889 million made to the Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) in 2014.

User Charges and Fees 

User charges and fees increased by $0.369 million (16%) due additional ticketing fees for exhibitions like Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures, Da Vinci and Dinosaur Discovery.

Sales

Sales decreased by $1.186 million (47%) due to the reduction in shop sales of merchandise.

Commonwealth Grants and Contributions 

Commonwealth grants and contributions increased by $0.096 million (23%) due to additional grants received for the Historic Shipwrecks Program study.

Interest Revenue 

Interest revenue decreased by $0.017 million (17%) due to lower grant balance and bank balance during the year.

Other Revenue

Other revenue decreased by $0.603 million (11%) due to decrease in donated collections and grant income.

Service Appropriation 

Service appropriation decreased by $6.773 million (22%) due to a one-off payment received in 2014 out of which $4.5 million was paid to the Department of Culture and Arts for prior years salary expense and $2.3 million were received for operational deficit funding.

Royalties for Regions Fund

Royalties for Regions fund increased by $2.124 million due to funding received to support regional museums operations.

Services Received Free of Charge

Services received free of charge decreased by $0.048 million (39%) due to reduction in the PC replacement program by the Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA).

State Grants and Contributions

State grants and contributions increased by $0.935 million (663%) due additional grant received for the Gorgon Project and the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) project.

38. Financial Instruments

A) Financial Risk Management Objectives and Policies

Financial instruments held by the Western Australian Museum are cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, loans and receivables, borrowings and payables. The Western Australian Museum has limited exposure to financial risks. The Western Australian Museum’s overall risk management program focuses on managing the risks identified below.

CREDIT RISK
Credit risk arises when there is the possibility of the Western Australian Museum’s receivables defaulting on their contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the Western Australian Museum.

The maximum exposure to credit risk at end of the reporting period in relation to each class of recognised financial assets is the gross carrying amount of those assets inclusive of any allowance for impairment as shown in the table at Note 38(c) ‘Financial instrument disclosures’ and Note 22 ‘Receivables’.

Credit risk associated with the Western Australian Museum’s financial assets is minimal because the main receivable is the amounts receivable for services (holding account). For receivables other than government, the Western Australian Museum trades only with recognised, creditworthy third parties. The Western Australian Museum has policies in place to ensure that sales of products and services are made to customers with an appropriate credit history. In addition, receivable balances are monitored on an ongoing basis with the result that the Western Australian Museum’s exposure to bad debts is minimal. At the end of the reporting period there were no significant concentrations of credit risk.

LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk arises when the Western Australian Museum is unable to meet its financial obligations as they fall due.

The Western Australian Museum is exposed to liquidity risk through its trading in the normal course of business.

The Western Australian Museum has appropriate procedures to manage cash flows including drawdowns of appropriations by monitoring forecast cash flows to ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet its commitments.

MARKET RISK
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices such as foreign exchange rates and interest rates that will affect the Western Australian Museum’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. The Western Australian Museum does not trade in foreign currency and has no borrowing and is not materially exposed to other price risks.

All cash and cash equivalents (except for cash floats) are interest bearing as noted at Note 38(c) ‘Financial Instrument Disclosures’, however the exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates is minimal as the Western Australian Museum does not rely on interest income for its principal operating activities.

B) Categories of Financial Instruments

	2015 ($000)	2014 ($000)
Financial Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,082	543
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2,995	2,956
Loans and receivables(a)	2,043	2,276
TOTAL	6,120	5,775
Financial Liabilities
Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost	1,533	1,369
TOTAL	1,533	1,369

(a) The amount of loans and receivables excludes GST recoverable from the ATO (statutory receivable).

C) Financial Instrument Disclosures

CREDIT RISK
The following table discloses the Western Australian Museum’s exposure to credit risk and the ageing analysis of financial assets. The Western Australian Museum’s maximum exposure to credit risk at the end of the reporting period is the carrying amount of financial assets as shown below. The table discloses the ageing of financial assets that are past due but not impaired and impaired financial assets. The table is based on information provided to senior management of the Western Australian Museum.

The Western Australian Museum does not hold any collateral as security or other credit enhancements relating to the financial assets it holds.

38. Financial Instruments (Continued)

Ageing Analysis of Financial Assets

			Past Due but Not Impaired
	Carrying Amount $000	Past Due and Not Impaired $000	Up to 1 Month $000	1-3 Months $000	3 Months to 1 Year $000	1-5 Years $000	More than 5 Years  $000	Impaired Financial Assets $000
Financial Assets
2015
Cash and cash equivalents	1,082	1,082	-	-	-	-	-	-
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2,995	2,995	-	-	-	-	-	-
Receivables (a)	1,315	1,247	51	14	2	1	-	-
Amounts receivable for services	32,999	32,999	-	-	-	-	-	-
	38,391	38,323	51	14	2	1	-	-
2014
Cash and cash equivalents	543	543	-	-	-	-	-	-
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2,313	2,313	-	-	-	-	-	-
Receivables (a)	1,584	1,478	10	2	45	13	-	-
Amounts receivable for services	30,417	30,417	-	-	-	-	-	-
	34,821	34,751	10	2	45	13	-	-

(a) The amount of receivables excludes GST recoverable from the ATO (statutory receivable).

38. Financial Instruments (Continued)

Liquidity Risk and Interest Rate Exposure

The following table details the Western Australian Museum’s interest rate exposure and the contractual maturity analysis for financial liabilities. The maturity analysis section includes interest and principal cash flows. The interest rate exposure section analyses only the carrying amounts of each item.

			Interest Rate Exposure				Maturity Dates
	Weighted Avg. Effective Interest Rate (%)	Carrying Amount $000	Fixed Interest Rate $000	Variable Interest Rate $000	Non-Interest Bearing $000	Nominal Amount	Up to 1 Month $000	1-3 Months $000	3 Months to 1 Year $000	1-5 Years $000	More than 5 Years $000
2015
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2.4	1,082	-	1,012	70	1,082	1,082	-	-	-	-
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2.4	2,995	-	2,995	-	2,995	50	150	1,594	1,201	-
Receivables (a)	-	1,315	-	-	1,315	1,315	658	657	-	-	-
Amounts receivable for services	-	32,999	-	-	32,999	32,999	-	-	-	-	-
		38,391	-	4,007	34,384	38,391	1,790	807	1,594	1,201	-
Financial liabilities
Payables		1,654	-	-	1,654	1,654	1,654	-	-	-	-
Borrowings		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
		1,654	-	-	1,654	1,654	1,654	-	-	-	-
2014
Financial Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2.8	542	-	471	71	542	542	-	-	-	-
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2.8	2,313	-	2,313	-	2,313	50	100	450	1,713	-
Receivables (a)	-	1,548	-	-	1,548	1,548	774	774	-	-	-
Amounts receivable for services	-	30,417	-		30,417	30,417	-	-	-	-	-
		34,820	-	2,784	32,036	34,820	1,366	874	450	1,713	-
Financial liabilities
Payables		1,418	-	-	1,418	1,418	1,418	-	-	-	-
Borrowings		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
		1,418	-	-	1,418	1,418	1,418	-	-	-	-

(a) The amount of receivables excludes GST recoverable from the ATO (statutory receivable).

38. Financial Instruments (Continued)

Interest Rate Sensitivity Analysis 

The following table represents a summary of the interest rate sensitivity of the Western Australian Museum’s financial assets and liabilities at the end of the reporting period on the surplus for the period and equity for a 1% change in interest rates. It is assumed that the change in interest rates is held constant throughout the reporting period.

Fair Values

All financial assets and liabilities recognised in the Statement of Financial Position, whether they are carried at cost or fair value, are recognised at amounts that represent a reasonable approximation of fair value unless otherwise stated in the applicable notes

		-100 Basis Points		+100 Basis Points
	Carrying Amount $000	Surplus $000	Equity $000	Surplus $000	Equity $000
2015
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,082	(10.8)	(10.8)	10.8	10.8
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2,995	(30.0)	(30.0)	30.0	30.0
Financial liabilities
Payables	1,654	16.5	16.5	(16.5)	(16.5)
Other borrowings	-	-	-	-	-
Total Increase/(Decrease)		(24.3)	(24.3)	24.3	24.3
2014
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents	543	(5.4)	(5.4)	5.4	5.4
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	2,313	(23.1)	(23.1)	23.1	23.1
Financial liabilities
Payables	1,418	14.2	14.2	(14.2)	(14.2)
Other borrowings	-	-	-	-	-
TOTAL INCREASE/(DECREASE)		(14.3)	(14.3)	14.3	14.3

39. Remuneration of Members of the Western Australian Museum and Senior Officers

Remuneration of Members of the Western Australian Museum

The number of members of the Western Australian Museum, whose total of fees, salaries, superannuation, non-monetary benefits and other benefits for the financial year fall within the following bands are:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
$0-$10,000	8	9
Cash remuneration received	32	32
Annual leave and long service leave accruals	-	-
Other benefits	-	-
Total	32	32

The total remuneration includes the superannuation expense incurred by the Western Australian Museum in respect of members of the Western Australian Museum.

Remuneration of Senior Officers

The number of senior officers, other than senior officers reported as members of the Western Australian Museum, whose total fees, salaries, superannuation, non-monetary benefits and other benefits for the financial year fall within the following bands are:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
$50,000–$60,000	1	-
$70,001–$80,000	-	2
$80,001–$110,000	-	-
$110,001–$120,000	-	-
$120,001–$130,000	-	1
$130,001–$140,000	2	-
$140,001–$150,000	-	2
$150,001–$160,000	1	-
$160,000–$170,000	1	-
$170,001–$180,000	1	1
$180,001-$190,000	1	1
$190,001–$220,000	-	-
$220,001–$230,000	-	-
$230,001–$245,000	1	1
Cash remuneration received	1,323	1,172
Annual leave and long service leave (reversal)/accruals for the year	(74)	(36)
Other benefits	17	25
Total	1,266	1,233

40. Remuneration of Auditor

Remuneration paid or payable to the Auditor General in respect of the audit for the current financial year is as follows:

	2015 $000	2014 $000
Auditing the accounts, financial statements and performance indicators	39	38
Total	39	38

41. Related Bodies

At the reporting date, the Western Australian Museum had no related bodies.

42. Affiliated Bodies

At the reporting date, the Western Australian Museum had no affiliated bodies.

43. Supplementary Financial Information

	2015 $000	2014 $000
A) Write-Offs Debts written off by the Western Australian Museum during the financial year Publications stock written off by the Western Australian Museum during the financial year	13 -	- 43
B) Losses Through Theft, Defaults and Other Causes Losses of public moneys and public and other property through theft	-	-
C) Gifts of Public Property Gifts of public property provided by the Western Australian Museum	-	-
D) Other Supplementary Information The Western Australian Museum holds shares in a private company received in exchange for the Museum’s support of specific projects. These shares are not recorded in the financial statements, as the measurement of the market value of the shares is not reliable.	-	-

44. Income and Expenses by Service

For the financial year ended 30 June 2015, the Western Australian Museum operated under one service titled ‘Museum services’ and therefore service information is reflected in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Certification of Key Performance Indicators

For the Year Ended 30 June 2015 We hereby certify that the Key Performance Indicators are based on proper records, are relevant and appropriate for assisting users to assess the Western Australian Museum’s performance, and fairly represent the performance of the Western Australian Museum for the financial year ended 30 June 2015.

Alan Robson
Chair, the Western Australian Museum Board
24 August 2015

Steve Scudamore
Member, the Western Australian Museum Board
24 August 2015

Detailed Key Performance Indicators

Key Effectiveness Indicator One: Preservation

Indicator

• Extent to which the Museum Collection, that requires preservation, is preserved.

Note: Preservation of the entire "Collection" is not required, therefore this measure only related to that part of the "Collection" that is required to be preserved.

Measurement

The Museum has developed bench line data and reports the number of items added to the Collection each year.

Measurement of Indicator

	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Proportion  of the Collection stored in controlled environment	99.29%	99.29%	97.82%	97.80%
Number of items from the Collection described and recorded on the relevant database	1,250,469	1,272,022	1,301,468	1,352,431

Objects added to the Museum Collection in 2014-15

The table below documents the number of items added to the Collection 2014-2015.

	Terrestrial Zoology	Aquatic Zoology	Maritime Archaeology	Maritime History	Anthropology and Archaeology	Earth & Planetary Sciences	History	Total
July	868	1,092	0	487	3	31	5	2,486
August	631	328	1,791	331	32	4	314	3,431
September	268	220	0	202	19	2	787	1,498
October	1,552	809	0	558	8	13	1,296	4,236
November	820	1,962	0	222	21	2	615	3,642
December	401	471	1	646	53	33	98	1,703
January	218	6,018	6	145	12	0	2	6,401
February	11,947	2,251	265	96	11	2	19	14,591
March	560	2,020	0	634	28	0	82	3,324
April	866	943	0	259	106	0	12	2,186
May	927	3,709	0	230	50	0	37	4,953
June	333	2,124	0	45	0	0	10	2,512
Total	19,391	21,947	2,063	3,855	343	87	3,277	50,963

Key Effectiveness Indicator Two: Accessibility

Indicator

• Number of people using and accessing the State Collection
• Percentage of visitors satisfied with the services associated with using and accessing the State Collection.

Measurement

This indicator measures the number of visitors to each of the Museum sites. It is argued that visitation reflects the ability of the Museum to provide relevant and engaging exhibitions and programs.

The significant increase in unique visits to the Museum’s website in 2013–14 is attributed to the introduction of an online ticketing service for paid exhibitions and programs. The decrease in web accesses for 2014-15 relates to the lesser requirement of online ticket sales compared to the year before. The Museum has dispensed with outsourcing its ticketing functions and sells exhibition tickets direct through its website. This explains the ‘spike’ in the website visitation numbers for 2013–14 due to increased enquiries and ticket purchases for the Museum’s extremely popular Dinosaur Discovery exhibition, and the consequent reduction this year. Overall web visitation will continue to fluctuate in accordance with this factor

The decline in Perth school group visits this year is attributed to a change in the method for program delivery from facilitated activities to self-guided tours which was introduced in 2014. Teachers have since advised a preference for facilitated activated and the Perth site reintroduced facilitated tours in the second half of 2014–15. The 11-week closure of the Shipwreck Galleries significantly impacted on all visitation at that site including school group bookings for 2014–15.

Measurement of Indicator

					Target	Actual
	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2014-15
Number of visitors to Museum sites	819,508	887,594	879,145	927,014	895,888	951,484
Number of visitors to web site - unique visits	582,602	677,343	1,218,230	1,650,371	1,650,000	903,382
Percentage of visitors satisfied with services of the Museum's sites	87%	87%	97%	96%	97%	95%

Visitor Satisfaction Overall Visit July 2014 to June 2015

Overall ratings of Museum aspects

	Total	Perth	Maritime Museum	Shipwreck Galleries	Albany	Geraldton	Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Very Satisfied	51%	40%	59%	64%	54%	72%	69%
Satisfied	44%	53%	38%	34%	42%	26%	25%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	3%	5%	2%	1%	2%	1%	1%
Dissatisfied	1%	1%	0%	0%	0%	1%	0%
Very dissatisfied	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	2%
Don't know/didn't visit	1%	1%	1%	1%	2%	0%	3%

Visitor Satisfaction Overall Visit July 2013 to June 2014

Overall ratings of Museum aspects

	Total	Perth	Maritime Museum	Shipwreck Galleries	Albany	Geraldton	Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Very Satisfied	53%	36%	64%	67%	74%	74%	68%
Satisfied	43%	57%	33%	31%	26%	26%	28%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	3%	6%	1%	1%	1%	0%	2%
Dissatisfied	1%	1%	0%	0%	0%	0%	1%
Very dissatisfied	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Don't know/didn't visit	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%

Visitor Ratings of Permanent Exhibitions July 2014 to June 2015

Permanent exhibition ratings

	Total	Perth	Maritime Museum	Shipwreck Galleries	Albany	Geraldton	Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Very satisfied	46%	35%	60%	64%	44%	67%	63%
Satisfied	43%	51%	36%	34%	44%	30%	29%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	4%	6%	3%	1%	1%	2%	2%
Dissatisfied	1%	1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%
Very dissatisfied	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Don't know/didn't visit	6%	7%	1%	1%	10%	1%	6%

Visitor Ratings of Permanent Exhibitions July 2013 to June 2014

Permanent exhibition ratings

	Total	Perth	Maritime Museum	Shipwreck Galleries	Albany	Geraldton	Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Very satisfied	50%	34%	62%	64%	62%	72%	67%
Satisfied	43%	56%	34%	34%	32%	27%	29%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	4%	6%	2%	2%	1%	1%	2%
Dissatisfied	1%	2%	0%	0%	0%	0%	1%
Very dissatisfied	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Don't know/didn't visit	2%	3%	1%	0%	6%	0%	0%

Comparative Attendance Figures 2013-14 and 2014-15

	Year	Overall Visitors	School Groups	Site Total
Western Australian Museum — Perth	2013-14 2014-15	454,415 464,505	20,073 16,557 (a)	474,587 481,062
Western Australian Maritime Museum and HMAS Ovens	2013-14 2014-15	106,916 102,471	9,298 11,995	116,214 114,466
Western Australian Museum — Shipwreck Galleries	2013-14 2014-15	99,103 79,581	11,631 8,162	110,734 87,743 (b)
Western Australian Museum — Albany	2013-14 2014-15	93,471 121,367	4,481 5,982	97,952 127,349
Western Australian Museum — Geraldton	2013-14 2014-15	37,046 46,620	1,715 3,088	38,761 49,708
Western Australian Museum — Kalgoorlie-Boulder	2013-14 2014-15	86,674 88,795	2,092 2,361	88,766 91,156
Annual Total	2013-14 2014-15	877,724 903,339	49,290 48,145	927,014 951,484

(a) The decline in Perth school group visits is attributed to a change in the method for program delivery from facilitated activities to self-guided tours which was introduced in 2014. Teachers have since communicated a preference for facilitated activities. The Perth site reintroduced facilitated tours in the second half of 2014–15.

(b) The 11 week closure of the Shipwreck Galleries significantly impacted on all visitation including school group bookings for 2014–15.

Monthly Visitors 2014-15

	Perth	Maritime Museum	Shipwreck Galleries	Albany	Geraldton	Kalgoorlie-Boulder	Total
July	91,457	15,769	11,776	8,334	11,347	13,569	152,252
August	31,646	5,072	5,564	4,872	7,870	7,690	62,714
September	29,693	9,308	10,969	5,391	9,078	10,581	75,020
October	42,589	11,764	12,405	5,157	9,359	11,989	93,263
November	25,603	13,109	12,104	2,924	6,057	10,779	70,576
December	30,273	8,626	11,870	2,946	6,096	8,728	68,539
January	43,167	10,559	16,916	3,889	6,252	10,325	91,108
February	50,194	6,812	10,318	1,570	4,866	7,665	81,425
March	34,184	9,365	9,632	3,111	6,140	513	62,945
April	45,708	12,737	13,731	5,571	9,475	0	87,223
May	36,488	7,865	7,197	3,064	8,059	2,741	65,414
June	20,061	3,480	4,867	2,879	6,557	3,163	41,007
Total	481,062	114,466	127,349	49,708	91,156	87,743	951,484

Key Effectiveness Indicator Three: Sustainability

Indicator

• Value of the Museum Collection renewal, content development and/or expansion as a proportion of the collection value.

Measurement

This is calculated by dividing the value of the Collection by the income received from State Government, not including the capital user charge. The result will be a percentage figure that demonstrates the percentage of the Collection value spent annually by the Government in renewal, content development or expansion of the Collection.

It is proposed to benchmark this figure against other museum collections and to average the indicator over five years. The Museum’s Collection was first valued in 2005–06. A full revaluation was then completed in 2008–09 and most recently in 2013–14.

	Collection Valuation	5 Year Rolling Avg. Income from the State Government	Key Effectiveness Indicator
2010-11	$431,839,956	$21,387,200	4.95%
2011–12	$437,130,208	$21,180,800	4.85%
2012–13	$438,658,107	$21,895,800	4.99%
2013–14	$347,062,632	$23,680,600	6.82%
2014–15	$347,549,293	$24,853,800	7.15%

Key Effeciency Indicator

Average cost of museum services per museum visitor or person accessing the Collection.

Access includes visitor attendance figures.

		Cost Per Visitor
2010–11		$38.12
2011–12		$36.63
2012–13		$34.99
2013–14		$37.44
2014–15	Target	$35.00
2014–15	Actual	$36.34

Ministerial Directions \ Other Financial Disclosures

No Ministerial directives were received during the financial year as the Museum Act 1969 (WA) does not provide for them.

New Museum Project

All expenses related to the New Museum Project are paid directly by DCA and accounted as work in progress for the New Museum Project. At the end of the project, the asset will be transferred into the WA Museum’s accounting records. This means there will be minimal net expenditure which relates to the New Museum Project in Museum accounting records in 2014–15 and onwards, until the Project’s completion in 2020.

Major Capital Projects in Progress 

The Museum has a budget of $2,615,694 allocated for global maintenance by DCA, from which $1,985,203 was spent in 2014–15, with the remaining funds to be spent in 2015–16. No monies were spent on major capital projects this year.

Major Capital Projects Completed

There were no major capital projects completed.

Employment and Industrial Relations

Staff Profile

The following table summarises the Western Australian Museum employee demographics and headcount as at 30 June 2015.

Employment Type	Women	Men
Permanent full-time	51	58
Permanent part-time	43	18
Fixed term full-time	42	15
Fixed term part-time	20	4
Casual paid	4	0
Other	0	0
Total	160	95

Workforce Planning and Staff Development - Workers Compensation

With 255 full-time, part-time and casual staff at 30 June 2015 (including staff contracted to work on the New Museum Project), and 951,484 visitors across all of its sites this financial year, the WA Museum recorded a total of 74 injuries and health or safety related incidents during 2014–15. Of the 74 incidents, 24 involved staff or volunteers, 2 were major injuries which resulted in workers’ compensation claims, 10 of them were moderate in nature and the remaining 12 were classed as minor injuries.

50 incidents involved visitors or customers attending the Museum’s sites, 2 were classified as near misses, 36 as minor injuries, 9 were moderate and 3 were classified as major injuries.

This total is an overall total of 74 recorded events, there were 67 events recorded for the previous financial year. (Major injuries needed hospitalisation, moderate injuries are those where the attention of a medical professional was required and injuries where basic first aid no first aid was required were classed as minor injuries.)

Governance and Disclosures 

Western Australian Museum Board of Trustees

The Western Australian Museum is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees, seven of whom are appointed by the Governor of Western Australia, while the eighth Trustee is the current Director General of the Department of Culture and the Arts. The Board is the accountable authority under the Financial Management Act 2006. The Board met on five occasions during 2014–15.

	Designation	Occupation	Initial Appoint.	Expiry	Meetings Attended
Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO	Chairman	Academic	1/1/2012	31/12/2015	5/5
Sara Clafton	Vice Chair	Managing Director	25/9/2007	10/7/2016	3/5
Ian Fletcher	Trustee	Retired businessman	1/1/2012	31/12/2015	3/5
Dr Kate Gregory	Trustee	Historian	10/7/2012	10/7/2016	5/5
Steve Scudamore	Trustee	Company Chairman	24/10/2006	31/12/2015	4/5
Irene Stainton	Trustee	Aboriginal Affairs Advisor	13/12/2011	7/10/2017	5/5
Rubini Ventouras	Trustee	Group Executive Legal Affairs	10/7/2012	10/7/2016	4/5
Duncan Ord / David Ansell	Ex-Officio	Director General DCA/Deputy Director General DCA	Ex-Officio	N/A	5/5

Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA

Chair of the Trustees

Professor Robson was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia from 2004 until 2012. Prior to this, he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University from 1993. He was also:

• Chair of the Group of Eight Universities from 2007–10.

• Deputy Chair of the Council of the National Library from 1998–2005.

• Deputy Chair of Universities Australia from 2009–11.

• Member of the Western Australian Science Council 2003–09.

• Member of the Board of the CSIRO from 2003–08.

In 2003 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and awarded a Centenary Medal; in 2009 he was made a Citizen of Western Australia; and in 2013 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Emeritus Professor Robson was appointed Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees in 2012, and was inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ms Sara Clafton

Vice-Chair

Ms Clafton completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Currently, Ms Clafton is the Managing Director of Clafton Counsel, an investor and media relations consultancy. She also served as:

• General Manager at Porter Novelli Perth (now FTI Consulting).

• Manager of External Relations at ARC Energy Limited (Perth).

• Head of Investor and Media Relations at Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (Sydney).

• National Public Affairs Manager at Multiplex Constructions.

• Board member of the University Club of Western Australia.

Ms Clafton was appointed a Trustee of the WA Museum in 2007 and Vice-Chair in 2012.

Mr Ian Fletcher

Trustee

Mr Fletcher has had more than 40 years’ experience in the public and private sectors. He has served as First Assistant Secretary and State Director for a number of Australian Government departments, department head in the Tasmanian Government and CEO of the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder. He was also:

• CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Canberra.

• Principal of Fletcher Rowe & Associates.

• Chief of Staff to WA Premier Richard Court.

• Principal Private Secretary to the Federal Minister for Social Security, Senator Fred Chaney.

• Vice President, External Affairs, BHP Billiton, Western Australia.

• Non-Executive Director of Horizon Power (current).

• Deputy Chair of the WA Australia Day Council (current).

A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Mr Fletcher is also a Justice of the Peace. He is a Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary) and a Churchill Fellow. Mr Fletcher was appointed a Trustee of the WA Museum in 2012.

Dr Katherine (Kate) Gregory

Dr Gregory is the Battye Historian with the State Library of Western Australia, where she provides leadership for the JS Battye Library of West Australian History collections and services. Previously, she was:

• Historian with the National Trust of Australia (WA) managing historical research, oral history projects and developing interpretation and cultural heritage programs with communities around the State.

• On the State Committee of Museums Australia (WA), the national organisation for the museum sector.

• Museum Manager and Curator of Claremont Museum.

• At the National Gallery of Victoria during the development of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square.

Dr Gregory has a PhD in Art History from the University of Melbourne (2004) on contemporary art and interpretation in museum practice since 1970. Her postdoctoral research at Curtin University was in the area of Cultural Heritage. Dr Gregory was appointed a Trustee of the WA Museum in July 2012.

Mr Steve Scudamore

Mr Scudamore has held a number of senior positions, including Chairman of the WA office of KPMG for eight and a half years and a senior partner with KPMG for 20 years specialising in the Energy and Natural Resources sector and Corporate Finance Services. He also serves as:

• Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Aquila Resources, Altona Mining and MDA Insurance.

• Chairman of not for profit organisation Amana Living (formerly the Anglican Homes group).

He is a Councillor to Curtin University and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a special adviser to Lazard Australia. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and England and Wales, Senior Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia and Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Scudamore was appointed a Trustee of the WA Museum in 2006.

Ms Irene Stainton

Ms Stainton works as the Senior Aboriginal Affairs Advisor at INPEX where she provides strategic policy advice relating to working with Aboriginal Australians. Prior to this, Ms Stainton was:

• General Manager at Australian Interaction Consultants.

• Executive Director of the Organisational Cultural Change Program at the Department of Community Development.

• Executive Director of the Family and Domestic Violence Unit and the Assistant Director within the Aboriginal Affairs Department.

• Registrar of Aboriginal Sites.

• Chairperson of the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee.

Ms Stainton is the Chair of the Western Australian Museum’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee, is the Deputy Chairperson of the Aboriginal Lands Trust Board, a member of the National Museum of Australia’s Indigenous Advisory Committee. She is a past member of the Return of Indigenous Cultural Property Program Management Committee. Ms Stainton was appointed a Trustee of the Museum in 2011 — her second term of office.

Ms Rubini Ventouras

Ms Rubini Ventouras holds degrees in law and commerce (Accounting) from Murdoch University and is admitted to practice law. She is currently the Group Executive — Legal Affairs Asia Pacific at Newmont Asia Pacific across Australia, PNG, the Solomon Islands, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

She is also a member of Newmont Asia Pacific’s Leadership Team which is responsible for operating four gold mines in Australia and New Zealand as well as a Director of the Newmont Australia group of companies. Previously, Ms Ventouras was:

• Senior Corporate Counsel with Newmont Asia Pacific in Jakarta and Perth; and

• a lawyer (1999 to 2003) and Senior Associate (2004 to 2005) at Freehills.

Ms Ventouras was appointed a Trustee of the WA Museum in July 2012.

Mr Duncan Ord - Director General of the Department of Culture and the Arts

Ex Officio (from 1/7/2014)

There are no matters to be disclosed in this reporting period with regards potential conflicts of interest or the Museum’s enabling legislation.

Board and Committee Remuneration

Position	Name	Type of Remuneration*	Period of Membership	Gross/Actual Remuneration
Chair	Alan Robson	Bi-annual	1/1/2012 to 31/12/2015	$7,000
Member	Ian Fletcher	Bi-annual	1/1/2012 to 31/12/2015	$3,700
Member	Steve Scudamore	Bi-annual	24/10/2006 to 31/12/2015	$3,700
Vice Chair	Sara Clafton	Bi-annual	25/9/2007 to 10/7/2016	$3,700
Member	Irene Stainton	Bi-annual	13/12/2011 to 27/10/2017	$3,700
Member	Kate Gregory	Bi-annual	10/7/2012 to 10/7/2016	$3,700
Member	Rubini Ventouras	Bi-annual	10/7/2012 to 10/7/2016	$3,700
Ex-Officio	Duncan Ord	N/A	Ex-Officio, N/A	-
				$29,200

* Sessional, per meeting, half day, or annual.

Advisory Committees

Western Australian Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee

Member

Ms Irene Stainton (Chair)

Ms Sonia Tait

Mr John Mallard

Ms Bev Port-Louis

Mr Tony Calgaret

Mr Martin Bin Rashid

Board and Committee Remuneration

Position	Name	Type of Remuneration*	Period of Membership	Gross/Actual Remuneration
Chair	Irene Stainton(a)	Annual	17 years	$3,920(b)
Member	Sonia Lee Tait	N/A	14/2/2014 to 14/2/2017	$480
Member	John Mallard	N/A	10 years	$480
Member	Bev Port-Louis	N/A	4 years	$460(c)
Member	Tony Calgaret	Annual	5 years	$528
Member	Martin Bin Rashid	N/A	September/October 2013 to September/October 2016	$960
				$6,828

* Sessional, per meeting, half day, or annual. $6,828

(a) NB: Irene Stainton is also a Member of the Western Australian Museum Board of Trustees, see page 106.

(b) $920 Western Australian Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee sitting fees; $3,000 Welcome to Country x 3.

(c) $160 Western Australian Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee sitting fees; $300 Welcome to Country x 1.

Western Australian Museum Maritime Archaeology Advisory Committee

Member

Prof. John Penrose (Chair)

The late Prof. Geoffrey Bolton AO, CitWA †

Dr Joseph Christensen

Ms Maddy McAllister

Dr Alistair Paterson

Mr Rodney Hoath

Mr Mark Polzer

Mr Ron Shepherd

Mr Don Newman

Ms Aileen Walsh

Western Australian Maritime Museum Advisory Committee

Member

Mr Ronald Packer (Chair)

Dr Nonja Peters (Vice-Chair)

Mrs Pat Barblett

Mr David Lynn

Hon Richard Court AC

The late Prof. Geoff Shellam †

Ms Astrid Norgard

The late Prof. Geoffrey Bolton AO, CitWA †

Western Australian Museum - Albany Advisory Committee

Member

Cr. Sarah Bowles (Chair)

Prof. Stephen Hopper

Mr Bruce Manning

Mr Lester Coyne (to August 2014)

Mr Rod Hedderwick

Ms Vernice Gillies (to October 2014)

Mr David Heaver

Ms Helena Stoakley

Mr Richard Harloe (from June 2014)

Western Australian Museum - Geraldton Community Advisory Committee

Member

Mr Malcolm Smith (Chair)

Mr Bob Urquhart (Vice-Chair)

Mayor Ian Carpenter

Cr Victor Tanti

Dr Mort Harslett (to December 2014)

Mr Gary Martin

Ms Andrea Selvey

Ms Marilyn McLeod

Ms Trish Palmonari (to December 2014)

Western Australian Museum - Kalgoorlie-Boulder Advisory Committee

Member

Mr Ben Fox (Chair)

Cr Laurie Ayers

Mr Frank Andinach

Mr Scott Wilson

Mr Glenn Richardson

Mr Morrie Goodz

Ms Carol Mann

No other committees or boards received any remuneration.

Other Legal Requirements

Advertising Expenditure

Expenditure on advertising, market research, polling and direct mail (Electoral Act (1907) s. 175ZE).

In accordance with s. 175ZE of the Electoral Act 1907, the agency incurred the following expenditure in advertising, market research, polling, direct mail and media advertising:

Expenditure		Amount (Ex. GST)
Market research organisation
	Morris Hargreaves McIntyre	$77,614.75
		$77,614.75
Polling organisations	-	-
Direct mail organisations	-	-
Media advertising organisations
	Advertising (under $2,300 ea)	$16,606.46
	Carat	$337,715.94
	Google	$6,090.91
	Imagesource	$21,990.41
	Project 3 Pty Ltd	$7,500.00
	RnR Publishing	$2,600.00
	Sandbox Post	$2,319.55
	Special Broadcasting	$4,061.30
	Project 3 Pty Ltd	$7,500.00
	RnR Publishing	$2,600.00
	Sandbox Post	$2,319.55
	Special Broadcasting	$4,061.30
		$398,884.57
	TOTAL	$476,499.32

Disability Access and Inclusion Plan Outcomes

(Disability Services Act (1993) s. 29 and Schedule 3 of the Disability Services Regulations 2004). The Museum is committed to ensuring that all facets of the Museum are fully accessible to all sectors of the community by removing or reducing any physical, sensory or intellectual barriers to access.

The Museum interprets fully accessible to mean that all Museum activities, facilities, services and employment opportunities (both in-house and contracted) are open, available and usable for people with disabilities, providing them with the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities enjoyed by other people in the community.

The Museum is committed to consulting with people with disabilities, their families and carers and, where required, disability organisations to ensure that barriers to access and inclusion are addressed appropriately.

The Museum is committed to ensuring that its agents and contractors work towards the desired access and inclusion outcomes of the Museum.

The Museum’s commitment to disability access and inclusion and how it plans to improve its performance in delivering this to its employees and the community are captured in its Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2013–17, which can be found on the Museum’s website at: museum.wa.gov.au/about/corporatedocuments

Public authorities are required to develop a disability access and inclusion plan (DAIP) and must report on its implementation in their annual report by briefly outlining current initiatives to address the following desired DAIP outcomes:

People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access the services of, and any events organised by, a public authority.

The Museum is committed to ensuring services are accessible and has developed accessibility checklists in relation to the organisation and promotion of services that are based on best practice.

• Acquired accessible display cases with dimensions appropriate for wheelchair access and deployed these across exhibitions at various sites.

• Reviewed temporary exhibitions against the Exhibition & Design Accessibility Checklist in order to judge compliance with best practice.

• Released a WA Museum wide smartphone app for curatorial content throughout the Museum that is accessible to people with disabilities.

• Ensured that invitations to public events, including launches, are consistent with State Government Guidelines published by the Disability Service Commission and reformatted for use by the Museum.

People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access the buildings and other facilities of a public authority.

• Through its building works and facilities management programs the Museum actively seeks to provide equality of access to its facilities for people with disabilities.

Examples of this include:

• Upgraded the lift in the Shipwreck Galleries to improve access to the site by people with disabilities.

• Commenced works at Collections Research Centre (Welshpool) that will improve access to the administration building and offices through installation of a lift to the first floor.

• Actively consulted with a representative panel of people with disabilities to ensure universal access requirements are factored into the New Museum Project Definition Plan and Project Brief.

People with disability receive information from a public authority in a format that will enable them to access the information as readily as other people are able to access it.

• Ensured the Museum’s website is as compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) v2.0 AA as per Public Commissioner’s Circular 2011-03 as is practically possible. Ensured requests for web content in alternative formats were met in a timely manner.

• Organised and hosted a Web Accessibility Camp in Perth during the period to encourage provision of accessible information through new formats across the public sector and government.

• Met requests for information in alternative formats in a timely manner either through using the Museum’s Online Services resources or by using the CUA approved suppliers where required.

• People with disability receive the same level and quality of service from the staff of a public authority as other people receive from the staff of that public authority.

• Continued a program of disability awareness training for all Museum staff to be delivered by trainers with disabilities or people with expertise in the area, with a specific view to improving access to exhibition spaces. Sessions have included running tactile tours of exhibitions for visitors and delivery of dementia friendly public programs and exhibition spaces.

People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to make complaints to a public authority

• Implemented an accessible Complaints, Comments and Compliments Policy allowing for complaints to be made in a variety of formats and maintained a list of complaints that specifically related to accessibility.

People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to participate in any public consultation by a public authority

• Encouraged participation in the Museum’s Regional Site Advisory Committees by people with disabilities, and included members with disabilities on these.

• Established and convened a New Museum Community Panel to advise on Access and Inclusion in the New Museum development.

People with disability have the same opportunities as other people to obtain and maintain employment with a public authority.

• Ensure that recruitment information and advertising is available in alternative formats and that provisions are made to accommodate people who may have particular needs to access employment opportunities.

Compliance with Public Sector Standards and Ethical Codes

The Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) provides human resources services to the WA Museum. It has worked with managers across the Culture and Arts Portfolio to ensure that all are compliant with Public Sector legislative and regulatory frameworks. The Human Resources department consistently reviews and updates workforce policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure that they are aligned with contemporary legislative and compliance frameworks. The HR department provides education to staff and managers on Public Sector standards in Human Resources Management, the Public Sector Code of Ethics, and the Culture and Arts Portfolio Code of Conduct. The WA Museum supplements these activities with its own training on topics of additional importance to its staff.

In the 2014–15 financial year, DCA successfully introduced a revised Culture and Arts Portfolio Code of Conduct policy, supported by compulsory training for all staff. Compulsory Accountable and Ethical Decision Making (AEDM) training was maintained within the Culture and Arts Portfolio. Almost 100% of WA Museum staff have completed this training.

In the last year the Museum has developed, delivered and trained managers in its own induction process, in order that they may induct their own current and new staff. The induction covers many areas, including those of compliance.

The Museum is committed to educating its workforce in the Public Sector Standards for Human Resource Management and the Public Sector Code of Ethics. In the 2014–15 financial year, the Museum recorded:

• no breaches of the Public Sector Standards in Human Resource Management;

• one breach of the Public Sector Code of Ethics or the Culture and Arts Portfolio Code of Conduct;

• no incidences of misconduct requiring investigation; and

• no Public Interest Disclosures were lodged.

Record Keeping Plans

Record Keeping Plans (State Records Act 2000 and State Records Commission Standard 2, Principle 6)

Every government organisation is required to have a Record Keeping Plan under s. 19 of the State Records Act 2000. The Record Keeping Plan is to provide an accurate reflection of how recorded information is created and managed within the organisation and must be complied with by the organisation and its officers. Record Keeping Plans are essential business tools which assist government organisations with the identification, management and legal disposal of their key information assets and therefore must be kept current.

Under Part 3, Division 4 of the State Records Act 2000, the organisation must review its Record Keeping Plan every five years or when there is any significant change to the organisation’s functions.

To assist with this process, a Record Keeping Plan Review Form and Maturity Model are provided at: www.sro.wa.gov.au/state-recordkeeping/recordkeeping-plans/recordkeeping-plan-reviews

Government organisations are required to report on:

Whether the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation’s recordkeeping systems has been evaluated or alternatively, when such an evaluation is proposed.

• The Museum’s Record Keeping Plan details the record keeping systems and practices currently in place. The Museum commissioned an evaluation of its information management policies, systems and practices in late 2014. The evaluation assessed its policies, systems and practices from both an operational and compliance perspective. In addition, the Museum undertook its statutory five yearly review of its Record Keeping Plan and submitted it to the State Records Commission in April 2015. This review has added an additional layer of clarity to its evaluation as it not only describes compliance requirements, but more importantly the standard of performance the Museum should be working to. The Museum has committed to updating its Record Keeping Plan in line with the results of these evaluations by June 2016.

The nature and extent of the record keeping training program conducted by or for the organisation.

• Ongoing training and support for staff across the organisation is provided by the Museum’s Records Management Unit. Training material and record keeping resources are available on the Museum’s intranet. The training sessions and resources reinforce the roles and responsibilities of staff in relation to their record keeping obligations.

Whether the efficiency and effectiveness of the recordkeeping training program has been reviewed or alternatively, when this is planned to be done.

• The efficiency and effectiveness of the Museum’s record keeping training program was reviewed as part of the Museum’s information management policies, systems and practices in late 2014. The Museum is planning to upgrade its electronic document and records management software system following the announced obsolescence of the current software program Trim 7.1. The upgrade will be accompanied by a comprehensive and organisation wide records awareness and software user training program.

Assurance that the organisation’s induction program addresses employee roles and responsibilities in regard to their compliance with the organisation’s recordkeeping plan.

• In 2014–15, in addition to the induction training provided by the Department of Culture and the Arts, the Museum introduced its own induction program for new employees. This complements the portfolio induction with information on Museum specific plans, policies, practices and systems. The Museum’s induction program provides a useful guide on records management roles, responsibilities and resources. In addition to this being delivered to all new employees, all existing employees have been re-inducted to ensure there is a common, cross organisational understanding of this baseline but important information.

Government Policy Requirements

Substantive Equality

Direction for the Museum’s substantive equality commitment sits with the Culture and Arts Portfolio Substantive Equality Reference Group. The Substantive Equality Reference Group meets on a quarterly basis to discuss and plan how the Culture and Arts Portfolio can improve access for customers from different racial, religious and cultural groups to the services that are provided by the Portfolio.

In the 2014–15 financial year, the Substantive Equality Reference Group successfully implemented the following:

• development of a Substantive Equality policy which covers all agencies across the Culture and Arts Portfolio;

• implementation of a communication and education strategy of the Substantive Equality Policy;

• development of an implementation plan for Substantive Equality frameworks across the Culture and Arts Portfolio; and

• incorporation of Substantive Equality education into the whole of staff induction.

Occupational Safety, Health and Injury Management

The Museum is committed to providing and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for all of its employees, contractors and visitors. It demonstrates this through its policies, procedures and work practices to ensure that all employees are safe from harm in the workplace, including:

• during 2014–15, staff received training on correct manual handling techniques;

• activities held across the DCA Portfolio during October 2014 to celebrate Safe Work Australia month, including a pedometer walk challenge, men’s and women’s health seminars, exercise classes and safety and health displays in common areas.

• access to the Department’s Employee Assistance Program, which is available to employees to assist with any issues they may be dealing with. Relationships Australia has been engaged as the new service provider.

The Museum facilitates Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) consultation through its OSH committee, the election of safety and health representatives, hazard and incident reporting, and workplace inspections. Staff are made aware of these processes at their employee induction, through specific OSH training and access to OSH information on the DCA intranet. Safety and Health representatives from across the Portfolio attended a recognition and development event in October 2014 for Safe Work Australia month to further develop their skills and knowledge in safety and health.

The policies, procedures and injury management system of DCA and the Museum are compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981. The Museum is committed to assisting employees return to work after a work-related injury or illness. Managers and supervisors work with injured workers to develop return to work programs for employees requiring modified, alternative or restricted duties upon returning to work from an injury or illness.

Results for this year generally reflect that the Museum’s excellent performance is being maintained. Reduced results in some areas is attributed to a single accident during a fieldwork expedition. This has resulted in a review of fieldwork policies and the development of new manager training. All managers at the Museum will receive training in OSH processes, procedures and responsibilities during August/September 2015.

		Actual Results		Results against Target
Measure		2012-13	2013-14	Target	Comment on Result
Number of Fatalities		0	0	0	No change. Target met.
Lost time injury and/or disease incidence rate		0.48	1.90	10% improvement	Lower than target.
Lost time injury and/or disease severity rate		0	0	0	No change. Target met.
Precentage of injured workers returned to work:	within 13 weeks within 26 weeks	100%   100%	75%   100%	80%   80%	Lower than target. Full compliance. Better than target.
Percentage of managers trained in occupational safety, health and injury management responsibilities		84.44%	74%	80%	Lower than target.

Appendices

1. Sponsors, Benefactors and Granting Agencies

Abetz, Peter

AE2 Commemorative Foundation

Allens Linklaters

Ashtead Technology

Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Council for the Arts

Australian National Maritime Museum

Australian Research Council

Be. Fremantle

Beazley AO, Prof Lyn

Bhagwan Marine

BHP Billiton

BHP Billiton Iron Ore

British Council Australia

Bush Blitz

Butler AO CBE, Dr W H (Harry)

Butler Bequest

Chevron

Container Cargo Specialist Pty Ltd

Crommelin OAM, Carole

CSIRO

Curtin University

DB Schenker Australia

Department of Culture and the Arts

Department of Environment

Department of Environment Regulation

Department of Housing

Department of Parks and Wildlife

Department of Social Services

Dodds, Vicky

DOF Subsea

DOF Subsea Skandi Protector crew

Doyalson Wyee RSL Sub-Branch

Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Ferngrove Frankland River Wines

Fletcher, Ian

Forrest, Andrew and Nicola

Friends of the Western Australian Museum

Gage Roads Brewing

GMA Garnet Group

Gorgon Project’s Barrow Island

Net Conservation Benefit Fund

Gubgub, Jamelia & Wallace, David

Hermon Slade Foundation

Heyder & Shears

Hickman, Dallas

IFAP

In Unison Pty Ltd

Institute of Marine Engineering,

Science and Technology

Joyce Krane

Kailis Bros Pty Ltd

Kailis Consolidated Pty Ltd

Kailis Fisheries Holdings Pty Ltd

Ketelsen, Torsten

Lotterywest

Lowe Family Foundation

Maritime Union of Australia

Matrix

McCusker Charitable Foundation

Medvet

MG Kailis Group

Michael AC, Dr Ken

Minderoo Foundation

Moore Stephens

National Science Foundation, USA

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

North West Shelf Shipping Services

Company Pty Ltd

OccMedic

Zoological Collection of Australian Museums

Perron AM, Stan and Perron, Jean

Phelps (n.e Rowell), Rosalind Ruth

Quest on James

Rio Tinto — Pilbara Iron Ore Project

Scoop Publishing

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines Cargo

Southern Rangelands NRM

Stevenson Logistics Pty Ltd

Subsea Energy Australia

The Corrosion Centre at Curtin University

of Technology

The Submarine Institute of Australia

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia)

ToxFree

Turner, Christopher and

McCartney, Benjamin

Ungar Family Foundation

WA Sports Federation/Venue West

Western Areas Ltd

Western Australian Marine Science Institute

(WAMSI)

Western Australian Museum Foundation

Woodside Energy Ltd

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM AND THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM FOUNDATION WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE MANY ADDITIONAL SUPPORTERS WHO ASSISTED THE MUSEUM WITH THEIR KIND CONTRIBUTIONS OF UP TO $500

2. Temporary Exhibitions

	Loaning Institute	Site	Start Date	End Date
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum of Kabul	National Museum of Kabul	Perth	26/7/2014	18/1/2015
ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year 2014	South Australian Museum	Perth	9/4/2015	1/6/2015
Remember Me: the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt	Australian War Memorial and Kerry Stokes	Perth	6/6/2015	30/8/2015
Dinosaur Discovery: Lost Creatures of the Cretaceous	Goldie Marketing and Western Australian Museum	Perth	11/4/2014	24/8/2014
The Last Gentlemen of War	Western Australian Museum, the von Mücke Family and other private lenders	Maritime Museum	7/11/2014	10/5/2015
Lustre: Pearling & Australia	Western Australian Museum, Broome Historical Society, Cygnet Bay Pearls, Horniman Museum and others including private lenders	Maritime Museum	20/6/2015	25/10/2015
A Convict in the Family	Sydney Living Museums	Albany	8/8/2014	21/9/2014
Da Vinci Machines	The Artisans of Florence	Albany	29/11/2014	2/3/2015
100 Affiches for a Centenary	Merci Down Under	Albany	18/4/2015	24/5/2015
Warakurna: all the stories got into our minds and eyes	National Museum of Australia	Albany	6/6/2015	24/8/2015
Da Vinci Machines	The Artisans of Florence	Geraldton	5/7/2014	9/11/2014
Warakurna: all the stories got into our minds and eyes	National Museum of Australia	Geraldton	13/3/2015	24/5/2015
ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year 2014	South Australian Museum	Geraldton	12/6/2015	2/8/2015
ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year 2013	South Australian Museum	Kalgoorlie-Boulder	3/5/2014	27/7/2014
Da Vinci Machines	The Artisans of Florence	Kalgoorlie-Boulder	14/3/2015	14/6/2015
spaced 2: future recall	Spaced, Various Artists	Perth	19/2/2015	29/3/2015
100 Postcards	Western Australian Museum	Albany	27/9/2014	16/11/2014
100 Postcards	Western Australian Museum	Perth	25/4/2015	10/5/2015
Bush Babies Elders Portrait Exhibition	CAN WA	Perth	9/7/2014	15/1/2015
Afghanistan: Photography of Barat Ali Bator	Barat Ali Bator	Perth	26/07/2014	18/01/2015
Making All Rounders for Life	Western Australian Museum	Perth	28/02/2015	19/04/2015
Fastest Arm in the West	Western Australian Museum	Perth	4/03/2015	8/03/2015
One Day from Glory: Cricket's World Cup	Western Australian Museum, Cricket Australia and various private lenders	Perth	27/02/2015	29/03/2015
WA Press Photographer of the Year	WAPPY	Perth	9/05/2015	2/06/2015
As Eye See It	Commission for Children and Young People	Maritime Museum	3/10/2014	12/10/2014
Winter Colour	Jackie Woodcock, Suzanne Randall	Albany	4/07/2014	17/07/2014
Inspired	Annette Van Nus	Albany	28/07/2014	3/08/2014
Our Sunburnt Country	Western Australian Museum	Albany	30/10/2014	12/11/2014
Our Red Cross in Albany	Red Cross	Albany	28/10/2014	5/11/2014
Farewell	Linda Chambers, Ann Johnson, Nat Rad and Edith Hepworth	Albany	30/10/2014	4/11/2014
Reimagining Peace: the Art of Protest	Kirsten Beitdatsch, Renee Farrant, Emm Forte, Della Foxglove, Jillian Green, Paul Moncrieff, Dave Taylor, Rosemary Turle, Giles Watson and Ruth Keszia-Whiteside	Albany	7/11/2014	14/11/2014
Apparently Landscape	Beth Kirkland	Albany	23/11/2014	6/12/2014
Coast and Ocean	Geraldton community	Geraldton	9/05/2015	22/05/2015
Faces From the Front	Western Australian Museum	Kalgoorlie-Boulder	23/08/2014	2/03/2015
Afghanistan: Local Treasures	Local Afghan community	Perth	26/07/2014	18/01/2015
Tribute to Peter Wood	Western Australian Museum	Maritime Museum	24/10/2014	15/02/2015
Ways of Telling	New Norcia community	Perth	30/09/2014	31/10/2014