Media Release: Government Must Stop Herbarium Job Cuts

                                                                                                                      Herbarium botanist Nov 2018. Courtesy TMAG Online

Government Must Stop Herbarium Job Cuts

24 September 2026

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today demanded the Rockliff Government halt and review any planned cuts to the State’s nationally acclaimed Herbarium, which sits with the Tasmanian Museum and Arts Gallery, following revelations senior roles have been axed.

“For the Rockliff Government to quietly axe the role of the Head of our acclaimed Herbarium, widely recognised for both its unique heritage collections as well as its role in fostering forward-thinking research is beyond disturbing and is critically short-sighted,” Ms Webb said.

“Additionally, it is my understanding a further significant curatorial role has been axed with a further admin role frozen. If this is the case it will leave our first-class Herbarium with less than a skeleton staff of two or three FTEs.”

Ms Webb said only last year the Head of the Herbarium Gintaras Kantvilas received the Premier’s STEM Researcher of the Year award for 2025.

“This demonstrated both the Herbarium’s vital scientific and research role, as well as the quality of expertise the state is at risk of losing due to any such short-sighted and damaging cuts.

“As publicly stated by former Arts Minister Madeleine Ogilvie in February this year, the Herbarium’s rich scientific history is ‘deeply valuable for our policy teams as they draw on the knowledge generated here to inform decision-making’.

“This makes any move by the Rockliff Government to erode this research facility even more incomprehensible and indefensible as they clearly know the value of this Tasmanian acclaimed institution as well as the quality of its personnel.

“Any cuts to the Herbarium risks Tasmania’s ongoing and future research into known and yet to be discovered species which may provide medicinal, biodiversity or other social and economic benefits.

“Important discoveries are still being made, and the Herbarium is playing a vital role in keeping Tasmania at the cutting edge of this research, while also providing an invaluable collection which serves as a biodiversity insurance policy and resource for future research.

“It appears the TMAG Board has been sidelined from decisions regarding the Herbarium staffing. I am calling on the Government to immediately review this dangerously short-sighted decision and commit to protecting our current and ongoing vital research and archival facilities.”