Murwillumbah auditorium upgrade gets thumbs up from community

17 March 2021

Renovated venue praised as among the best in the region

Upgrade works at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium have received a tick of approval from the community, as the project moves into its final phase.

The auditorium was closed to the public in January last year to make way for refurbishment to parts of the facility. It is now expected to be completed and re-open to the public by late April 2021.

Initially expected to take four months to complete, the project was delayed by the onset of COVID-19 as well as the discovery of more asbestos and structural roof damage than anticipated.

The expanded scope pushed the total project cost to $2.3 million under a package jointly funded by Council and the NSW Government’s Regional Cultural Fund.

Officially opened by then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, current Mayor of Tweed Cr Chris Cherry said she was looking forward to the opening of the newly-refurbished facility.

“Council has done a great job in listening to the community and incorporating as many of the enhancements they requested as possible into the final design,” Cr Cherry said.

“When the upgrade works are completed, we will have a state-of-the-art venue which brings the auditorium up to modern standards for accessibility, energy efficiency and functionality.

“This will be an incredible asset for the Tweed community now and into the future and is expected to be a drawcard for major events across the region, providing an economic boost for our Shire.”

The refurbishment includes:

  • technical upgrades to theatre equipment, such as lighting and sound, including intelligent lighting, top-of-the-range projector equipment, electric stage hoists and revamped curtains
  • remodelling of the foyer and provision of accessible toilets
  • new ticket office
  • cedar timber finishing
  • removal of asbestos
  • accessible access to stage and backstage areas, and
  • backstage upgrade.
Community members who regularly use the auditorium to stage productions from dance recitals to business awards and theatre productions, were impressed by the works during a recent sneak-peak tour of the facility.

Colin Elliott, contracted to manage Council’s auditoria for the past seven years, congratulated the project team for incorporating community requests into the final design.

“People don’t realise what a great facility we have here,” he said.

“This is a top facility, the people who first built this theatre in the 1970s were visionary and did a great job.”

Murwillumbah Theatre Company president Dianne Robinson – whose group is expected to stage their latest production ‘Keeping up Appearances’ in the newly revamped facility in May – was excited by the upgrade.

“It’s got everything we’ve always wanted, right down to the kitchen sink,” she said.

Dianne Robinson (Murwillumbah Theatre Company), Yolanda Skye (Elastic Bandz) and Nick Moran (Murwillumbah and District Business Chamber) inspect the changes at the auditorium.
Venue manager Colin Elliott and Andrew Illingworth, Council’s Acting Manager Tweed Holiday Parks and Cultural Facilities, inspect the new stage.

Downloads

Photo 1(JPG, 131KB)

Caption: Council project manager Evonne Schaffer shows off some of the new changes at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium to community members.

Photo 2(JPG, 87KB)

Caption: Dianne Robinson (Murwillumbah Theatre Company), Yolanda Skye (Elastic Bandz) and Nick Moran (Murwillumbah and District Business Chamber) inspect the changes at the auditorium.

Photo 3(JPG, 90KB)

Caption: Venue manager Colin Elliott and Andrew Illingworth, Council’s Acting Manager Tweed Holiday Parks and Cultural Facilities, inspect the new stage.

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