In short:
Premier Ben Carroll has ended the automatic taxpayer-funded statue policy introduced by Jeff Kennett in 1999, halting work on a planned statue of former Premier Daniel Andrews on Treasury Place. An independent, bipartisan panel will now review how Victoria commemorates former public officials, including state funerals and future statues.
Government ends automatic statue policy for former Premiers
The government has scrapped a decades-old policy that automatically commissioned a taxpayer-funded statue for every long-serving Victorian Premier.
Premier Ben Carroll announced the change on Saturday 29 August 2026, ending a policy introduced in 1999 by then-Premier Jeff Kennett, under which statues of former Premiers have been erected at Treasury Place.
“I respect your money. That means being careful and deliberate about how government spends it,” Mr Carroll said.
Statue of Andrews halted, contract to stand
Mr Carroll has directed that work cease on a commissioned statue of Victoria’s 48th Premier, Daniel Andrews.
The existing contract for the work will not be cancelled, avoiding what the government says would be unnecessary costs to taxpayers. Instead, a new independent panel will recommend an alternative subject and location for the piece already under commission.
“We are grateful to former Premiers for their service. But gratitude does not require a taxpayer-funded statue,” Mr Carroll said.
Years of debate over an Andrews statue
The push for a statue of Daniel Andrews has been contentious since it was first flagged in 2024, when WyndhamTV reported on the backlash to the proposed bronze monument.
By May 2026, the statue was expected to cost more than $134,000 to design and construct, with the then Allan Labor Government defending the commission by pointing to the Kennett-era policy. WyndhamTV’s earlier coverage detailed the debate over the taxpayer-funded statue and Andrews’ mixed legacy, from the Metro Tunnel and level crossing removals to the pandemic-era lockdowns and hotel quarantine program.
Bipartisan panel to review state funerals and tributes
The independent and bipartisan panel will also examine how Victoria conducts state funerals and memorial services for former senior public officials.
The government says the significance of state funerals comes partly from the fact they are reserved for exceptional circumstances, and that clear, consistent protocols should apply because taxpayers meet the cost. The panel will recommend the appropriate frequency, scale, arrangements and cost of future services.
“State funerals are special and moving tributes. Part of what makes them special is their rarity,” Mr Carroll said.
What happens next
The panel’s recommendations will guide how Victoria commemorates former Premiers and senior officials going forward, including the location and subject of the artwork already commissioned under the Kennett-era policy.
