ELECTED members will seek more information on the proposed Millicent Civic and Arts Centre redevelopment after updated estimates came in at almost four times its budgeted cost.
Councillors and staff spent 25 minutes of the March monthly council meeting on the issue and it was resolved to revisit it in April.
Deputy chief executive Paul Duka said the 2018/19 annual budget had allocated $80,000 towards the refurbishment but the design specifications had now been qualitatively assessed at $307,000.
His report detailed the suggested works including lighting, flooring, storage areas and the bar.
Councillors and staff viewed the foyer before the meeting.
Councillor Dale Price successfully moved for the formal meeting procedures to be suspended for 20 minutes to enable a round table discussion of the design and cost.
Cr Price said he was concerned at the jump in budget from $80,000 to $307,000.
He described the foyer as being tired, not user-friendly and yesteryear’s design.
“We are not under the pump to do it tomorrow” Cr Price said.
Cr Moira Neagle said she was not keen on aspects of the design including painting the red bricks and the display cases.
Cr Neagle described the Millicent War Memorial Civic and Arts Centre as a treasure of the Wattle Range Council area and the refurbishment of the foyer needed to be done properly.
“We should get the opinions of long-time users such as my husband John [Mullins],” Cr Neagle said.
Cr McGrath said practical matters such as chair storage needed to be done and also advocated seeking the opinions of users.
“John Mullins is at every show,” Cr McGrath said.
Deputy Mayor Cr Glenn Brown said any refurbishment needed to address acoustics and the starkness of the foyer.
Cr Dean Burrow said he was not in favour of display cases or carpet on the floor.
According to Cr Burrow, the architectural integrity of the building could be destroyed.
“It is a building of its time,” Cr Burrow said.
“If the refurbishment costs $600,000, so be it”.
Cr Burrow suggested council could sponsor an opera or symphony orchestra concerts in 2020 when the facility had its 50th birthday.
At this point, Cr Peter Dunnicliff flippantly suggested American heavy metal band Metallica band could perform in Millicent.
Cr John Drew said the 1970s were not the architectural peak of building design.
“The foyer is dreary, dull and uninviting,” Cr Drew said.
“We have to do it properly and not by halves.”
Cr Dunnicliff adopted a serious tone and asked for individual costings which could then lead to a staged project.
As the cost had risen from $80,000 to $307,000, Cr Dunnicliff said a more comprehensive report was needed.
“We are all in favour of an update and council needs to decide on a budget.”
Cr Rick Paltridge also said individual costings were needed while Cr Graham Slarks said he could see a lot of wasted space in the design.
Deputy chief executive Paul Duka said an architect had worked on two other council projects: the main office redesign and the new records storage building.
The discussion ended and the meeting accepted a Cr Price motion to defer the matter for a month.
