Eurobodalla councillors agreed to a contract variation that will allow concept designs to be developed for a stand-alone theatre, arts and cultural facility on the Mackay Park gateway site.
Councillors voted at Tuesday’s council meeting to have consultants Otium Planning Group proceed with a concept design that ‘de-couples’ the arts and cultural facility from the aquatic and recreation centre.
Otium had presented Council’s community-based sunset committee with preliminary concepts for a 500-seat performance theatre and an aquatic centre earlier this month.
Their design demonstrated the two community facilities could co-locate on the Crown Land at the southern end of the precinct, leaving the Council-owned freehold land to the north unencumbered.
While committee members were satisfied that a performing arts facility and an aquatic centre could sit successfully side-by-side on the Mackay Park land, they wanted to see concepts for the arts facility located on the northern part of the precinct, separate to the aquatic and recreation centre.
Another suggested option to prepare concepts for a 1,000-seat multi-purpose event space instead of a 500-seat theatre was rejected by councillors, who noted this alternative could be examined further into the project after considering responses from the private sector.
At the meeting, Mayor Liz Innes reminded councillors that the purpose of preparing a concept plan and business case was to support grant applications to Australian and NSW governments and to meet the requirements of the Office of Local Government to enable Council to proceed with the public private partnership process.
Jeannie Brewer, representing Perfex, spoke passionately in the public forum session about why a stand-alone performing arts centre was something to be pursued. Supporters in the gallery applauded councillors’ unanimous vote. media release
