Cr Sam Rowland says he can no longer support construction of Goulburn’s performing arts centre.
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“My cards are on the table,” he told Tuesday’s council meeting.
“I’ve been in two minds about the performing arts centre, primarily because of cost and now we find that it has risen from $11.4 million to $12.1m,” he said.
“I’ve now formed an opinion against the PAC as is currently before us.”
He was one of two councillors at Tuesday’s meeting who voted against a decision to prepare tender documents for the facility’s construction. The tender would only be issued after councillors considered design changes and the development won approval.
The majority of councillors also endorsed general manager Warwick Bennett’s recommendation that Brewster Hjorth Architects be asked to review the design and scope of works to bring it within the $11.4m budget.
However Mr Bennett stated in his report that the community at a public meeting “generally supported” the extra expenditure if it provided a “fabulous facility.”
“We should now accept the cost will be $12.1m,” he wrote.
Cr Rowland doesn’t think so. He told the meeting the majority of feedback he received was about parking provision and cost.
“Even if we get the grants, I don’t support the cost. End of story,” he said.
He won support from Cr Margaret O’Neill who said she’d always had concerns about the cost and “lack of” parking.
She asked Mr Bennett whether it was true that the council had approached a business person about buying CBD land for parking. Mr Bennett replied that while the council was looking at several options for parking it had “made no direct approach to any business person.”
Cr O’Neill feared any land purchase could blow the cost out further.
The council is chasing $4m in grants for the work, with only $1m of this so far secured. But Mr Bennett said he was confident of securing the rest before construction started. He told the meeting that he and the Mayor were meeting with the Veolia Mulwaree Trust directors next week and they had given “strong indications” of support for the venue.
If the grants were secured by the time of deciding the tender, then councillors would have to decide whether the project continued or if additional funding was provided, Mr Bennett said.
Cr O’Neill also questioned the adequacy of the allocated $400,000 in operational costs for the centre and argued fit-out costs, particularly for catering, would further blow the price out.
But Mr Bennett replied that the $400,000 was adequate.
In regard to parking, Growth, Strategy and Culture director Louise Wakefield told the meeting that the council had addressed the Joint Regional Planning Panel’s issues raised in March. The council is relying on off-street parking for the 400-seat venue but argues there are 650 spaces within 200 metres of the site. Separately, it is separately embarking on a CBD master plan for parking.
Mrs Wakefield said there were several options on the table for this and it would involve staging. The matter will come back to councillors for discussion.
What’s good for the goose….
Meantime, Mr Bennett says there’s no reason why the state government can’t fund Goulburn’s new performing arts centre.
He told Tuesday’s meeting the government had set a precedent by providing money for Armidale’s 1000-seat performance facility in this week’s budget.
The multi-purpose facility will be built within the Armidale High School grounds as part of a new $65 million school, the Armidale Express reported.
The centre, to be the largest in the region, will host theatre, opera, movies, school assemblies, functions, conferences and large community events.
Northern Tablelands Nationals MP Adam Marshall lauded the facility as “something that the community has desperately needed for some time.”
“That’s a precedent the state government has set,” Mr Bennett said.
“If they can have a 1000-seat performing arts centre fully funded by the state government, there’s no reason why Goulburn can’t.”
Tuesday’s budget contained nothing specific for Goulburn’s performance venue. However MP Pru Goward is backing the council’s application to the $100m Regional Cultural Fund, announced as part of the document.
While two councillors remain concerned about the cost, others fully support the project.
Cr Carol James told Tuesday’s meeting the project would never get any cheaper.
“We have an opportunity to nail this, enhance the main street and bring visitors to town,” she said.
Cr Leah Ferarra, too, said there was a “fantastic turnout” at the May public meeting to discuss the project.
“No one was concerned about the cost...so to vote against this is to go against the people we represent,” she said.
Mayor Bob Kirk argued that councillors had already endorsed the budget and the motion before them did not contradict that.
“If it doesn’t fit within the cost it will come back to us,” he said.
The discussion followed an address by Bi-Rite owner Kim Gann in public forum. Mrs Gann previously lodged a 730-signature opposing the performing arts venue only on the basis it omitted parking.
She asked councillors to “seriously consider” whether they should call tenders before this issue was resolved. Mrs Gann feared for the impact on CBD businesses which she said had branched out from Auburn Street, placing more pressure on parking.
She also questioned whether interest payable on the estimated $5.2 million loan to be raised by the council had been included in the cost. Mr Bennett replied that it was additional.
The council plans to access low interest (2.5pc) state government loans for this amount. The loan could be reduced if grants are sourced.
The JRPP has not set a hearing date for the development application. However Mr Bennett expected a July fixture.
On other fronts, the council advised it was working closely with the architects and a consultant around archival records for the McDermott Centre, the venue for the performing arts facility. This was in accordance with heritage guidelines.
“Members of the community are also involved in creating an inventory of moveable heritage to ensure the history of the building is well documented and preserved,” a spokesman said.
“Furthermore, an interpretation strategy is being undertaken to ensure the Performing Arts Centre design appropriately interprets the history of the McDermott Centre. Some innovative ideas are being discussed and we look forward to consulting with the community on these ideas in the coming months.”