Overview

• Dozens of Art Gallery of NSW employees staged a midday stop‑work walkout and rally on Wednesday, the first industrial action at the institution in about a decade.
• The protest targets a draft restructure that would eliminate 51 roles—about one in ten positions—to save roughly $7.5 million and reduce the workforce from 382 to about 330 full‑time‑equivalent roles.
• The Public Service Association says the proposed losses fall largely on public‑facing, lower‑paid staff, with only one manager included, and warns visitors will notice reduced exhibitions and services.
• Gallery leadership has extended the consultation period by two weeks, with director Maud Page saying the changes are intended to secure the institution’s long‑term sustainability.
• Scrutiny of government priorities has sharpened after budget papers showed the Powerhouse Museum’s projected wages bill rising to $60.6 million following a $9 million increase, as Create NSW moves to shed 24 staff.