Public consultation on fit-for-purpose performing arts venue for Timaru delayed

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

The long journey to have a performing arts venue up and running in Timaru has been extended, after councillors voted to delay public consultation to allow them to consider the finer details of all options on the table.

The decision was made at Tuesday’s Timaru District Council meeting when councillors discussed four options included in a draft consultation document for providing a fit-for-purpose Performing Arts venue.

The options in the draft were to build a multi-purpose civic centre on the site of the town’s library, upgrade the Theatre Royal, build a new theatre on a council-owned site in the CBD or permanently close the theatre and sell the site for redevelopment.

But councillors said there was not enough detail for each option, and they needed more time to consider them.

Councillor Owen Jackson asked why the option to upgrade the Theatre Royal and create a Heritage Hub, a project dumped by the council in July, was not included.

“I hark back to decision-making, it’s our role to make decisions,’’ Jackson said.

“We owe it to the public to have that option on the table.’’

He said the $57.1 million project was ready to go and should be re-explored.

“It’s ready to push play.

“We offer it to our local contractors, and make it work.’’

He said the option of just restoring the theatre did not fit in with any of the work the council had done with CityTown, and the rejuvenation of the south end of Stafford St.

But councillor Allan Booth told him “that ship has sailed’’.

Councillor Peter Burt agreed with Jackson, saying the figures in the draft document would have members of the public asking “why the hell’’ did the council not agree to go ahead with the Theatre Royal and Heritage Hub project.

“It’s embarrassing,’’ Burt said.

Booth said he thought four options was too many, and the document’s title was not correct.

“We’re talking about three key civic facilities, perhaps we should be mentioning it’s a discussion about those and obviously the theatre is one of those.’’

He did not think the refurbishment of the Theatre Royal was an option as “we rejected it resoundingly last time’’.

But councillor Stu Piddington said he felt the council was rushing the consultation. He asked for a full report on the town’s library and said local theatre groups needed to be consulted on what they wanted.

“We haven’t been rigorous enough in our options,’’ he said.

“I’d rather take a couple of months, get reports, get that feedback.’’

He had too many unanswered questions and said he did not feel confident about going to the community without giving them more information.

Councillor Stacey Scott agreed and wanted each proposal to have its own support paper “so we are really clear when we go out to consult’’.

“Go out with a very solid consultation document – we owe it to our community to do it properly,’’ she said.

Councillor Michelle Pye said she agreed with Piddington and Scott and said she felt like the council was setting itself up to fail.

“We’re going out to the public, asking them to pick a path without all the information.

“We need to see the detail of the build cost.’’

Piddington added: “It’s clear that this isn’t clear.

“We’ve gone round and round in circles.’’

Council chief executive Nigel Trainor reminded councillors the paper was a draft consultation document.

“The feedback we’ve got is important,’’ Trainor said.

“All we’ve got to do is get the right information in the paper so we can get it to the public and understand it.

“It’s about getting it right.’’

Councillor Gavin Oliver asked what the overall savings of having the library, museum and theatre together would be.

Group manager community services Beth Stewart said it would be a 15% saving.

Scott asked if a workshop next week could be an option to go through the details.

“Then we can measure out what is missing.’’

She asked if it was possible to get a letter from MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment), which put $11.6m towards the original Theatre Royal project, to say which of the four options it would support.

Trainor said MBIE would not provide a letter.

Bowen said councillors could work through an iteration, with the chief executive to delegate the timetable.

He told councillors they could see what time they needed to make a decision, and an extraordinary meeting to approve the consultation document could be called.

All councillors agreed to do that, except Jackson who said: “I still feel option one is the best option.”

The new options came after councillors voted to dump the $57.1 million Theatre Royal and Heritage Hub project at an extraordinary meeting in July in favour of exploring a new plan for the facilities.

The dumped project was consulted on twice, with a majority of respondents supporting the upgrade both times.