Coffs Harbour Council, Cultural and Civic Space building work to start in April

GM Mr McGrath says the project is still ‘very much deliverable’ within Council’s long-term financial plan.

Building work on the Cultural and Civic Space is scheduled to start in April following approval of the tender for the construction phase of the project.

Last night a rescission motion which would have effectively stalled the project was voted down meaning the motion from last Thursday - to proceed with the build - was carried forward.

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Coffs Harbour Mayor Councillor Denise Knight has been one of the four Councillors passionately behind the project. The others who have consistently backed it are Crs Sally Townley, George Cecato and Michael Adendorff while Crs Keith Rhoades, Tegan Swan, Paul Amos and John Arkan have made several moves to halt it.

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"This project will be a true game-changer for Coffs Harbour as we move forward from being a small coastal city to a bustling regional hub," Mayor Knight said.

Council has released a fly-through video of the Cultural and Civic Space.

"Coffs Harbour needs this project, not only to help our recovery from the pandemic and support our transition after the bypass, but also to bring our cultural and civic facilities up to the standard our beautiful region and its community deserves.

"I have always supported the development of cultural facilities for Coffs Harbour, and I am so excited to finally see our new building take shape."

The offer was put forward by Lipman Pty Ltd (Lipman), the company that won the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) tender for the building.

The internal street that flows through the Cultural and Civic Space from one side to the other.

The Design and Construct contract with Lipman includes finalisation of the building's design and construction of the building in accordance with that design.

Lipman is required to deliver the building for the agreed cost they have offered to finalise design and construction of the project.

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"Having Lipman involved in the Detailed Design process alongside BVN Architecture has given them a strong and very thorough understanding of the scope and brief of the project," Coffs Harbour City Council's General Manager Steve McGrath said.

Coffs Harbour City Council Gallery and Museum Curator Jo Besley is passionate about the vision for the Cultural and Civic Space. Photo by Janine Watson.

"In addition, the ECI process has resulted in strong interest from local tradies, with approximately 55 per cent of the cost of the building materials and labour being supplied by locals. We believe that this project is perfectly timed and placed to support local and region wide recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The total cost of the project is now expected to be $81.27 million, which is approximately $4.75 million (6.2 per cent) over the $76.52 million project budget, established in 2018," explained Mr McGrath.

He said the project is still very much deliverable within Council's long-term financial plan, especially considering that the current interest rate is 2.3 per cent compared to the rate of 4.0 per cent originally budgeted for.

"The main contributor to the increased project cost is the greater than expected escalation in construction costs over the past two and a half years."

The building is due to be finished by the end of 2022.