Others say the ball needs to keep rolling on the project to keep on track with federal funding. 

A closed-briefing session was held with councillors on Tuesday night to discuss their concerns about the centre. 

Cr Sam Rowland is just one of the councillors calling for renewed debate over the need for a Performing Arts Centre.

“The debate needs to be over the need for such a centre given the probable cost blowout and questionable priority over other community infrastructure projects,” Cr Rowland said. 

“The cost of the performing arts centre has grown by $4 million since the idea was first tabled and work hasn’t commenced yet. It should be noted that it is a heritage building and the likelihood of complications arising during construction is very high and as a result, the cost is likely to again increase well beyond the current $11.4 million price tag.”

He said there had been little discussion over the ongoing operation and maintenance costs of the centre after its completion.

“The reality is, this centre could end up being a multi-million dollar black hole on Council’s budget for many years to come,” he said. 

“The Council has agreed to build and fund multiple community infrastructure projects of significant size, totalling in excess of $40 million within a very short period of time, it would be irresponsible for us as councillors not to have renewed discussions and debate when concerns arise and to prioritise each project to ensure proper thought and planning goes into each.”

He was not asking council to scrap the project altogether, rather to “have a renewed discussion about it.” 

 “There is no doubt that the arts community in Goulburn has been neglected and underfunded for a long time, but equally so, there is a need to provide for a much broader range of the community and we as a Council need to ensure that we strike the right balance when funding projects of such significant size and cost,” he said. 

“I’m not asking Council to do away with the proposal altogether, I’m asking Councillors to have a renewed discussion over our capacity to build the performing arts centre without sending the community into debt, as well as to discuss our ability to operate the centre successfully after building completion, and to do so when funding other projects of such significant size and cost.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Bob Kirk has said there is a need to push ahead.

He said an impending rescission motion from Cr O’Neill had not been forthcoming – at the time of the briefing session. 

“It has not been lodged so it has not warranted further discussion,” Cr Kirk said. 

“While there is no motion before the council to rescind the motion made late last year, we push ahead. We made another decision to go to tender for the demolition of part of the building and there is no reason for that not to proceed.

Cr O’Neill has raised questions and I say we need to resolve the questions while we are together – there may be a practical solution and we can sort it out. The motion at the moment is for a detailed design to be completed and this is almost done. When this is submitted we will go out to tender for construction.

“When the quotes come back we still have an opportunity as a council to review the costs. The point is we need to keep it moving along to ensure we get the federal government funding. If there is a cost blowout we can stop the project and consider it.

“We are all concerned about costs, but we cant stop it moving along - we have to manage it that way.” 

Following the briefing session Tuesday night, Cr Rowland said the council would be seeking another independent assessment to be undertaken on the construction and the possible cost of the new building.

“The Working Party will then turn their attention to the operational side of things,” he said.

“But – this is a discussion we have to have in public.”