HOLBROOK’S submarine museum is in danger of having to close two days a week.
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Cutbacks by the Greater Hume Council mean that the museum and nearby visitor information centre may shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The shire’s general manager Steve Pinnuck said costs and resourcing concerns prompted him to float the closure with the committee responsible for the museum.
He said the plan was “not well received” and the committee had been given the opportunity to put alternative ideas by September 8.
“We’re not saving anything in dollar terms, we’re looking at utilising the employee we have there as a communications person out of our Holbrook office on those days,” Mr Pinnuck said.
Submarine museum curator Roger Cooper declined to comment to The Border Mail about the proposal.
However, it is understood he has concerns about the moves and plans to address the council’s September meeting.
Greater Hume mayor Heather Wilton is on the submarine committee and therefore does not plan to participate in meeting debate about the action.
However, she believes the closures could be avoided through more citizens showing a willingness to help at the information centre and museum.
“We really do need to reach out to the community and see if there’s people interested in becoming a volunteer one day a month or 2½ days a month,” Cr Wilton said.
“The committee feel that we need to keep it open and I would reach out to people to see if they could put in some time.
“It’s not hard you just need a great personality and be ready to greet customers.
“We’re on the Hume Highway we do have a lot of visitors coming through the town every single day.
“There are more around the weekend, but we still have plenty of buses and the community feels it would be desirable to keep the museum and the visitor information centre, especially, going seven days a week.”
Cr Wilton said a maximum of six volunteers were helping with staffing and a further 12 would allow more flexibility with operating hours and rosters.
“If we can get more volunteers then council can have a rethink about the approach,” she said.
The museum has a submarine control room, with a working periscope, and a hologram depicting the story of Commander Norman Holbrook via his wife Gundula.
The town was named after the submarine commander in 1915.
