Whitehorse Council’s $78m Whitehorse Centre project criticised by ratepayers group
Ratepayers are calling for a council to scrap its $78 million plan to build a new performing arts centre in Melbourne’s east, saying the money would be better spent supporting struggling community members during the pandemic.
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A ratepayers group is calling on Whitehorse Council to scrap its $78m plan to build a new performing arts centre in Nunawading, saying the money would be better spent helping struggling community members during the pandemic.
Whitehorse Council is planning to demolish the existing Whitehorse Centre and build a new modern 600-seat venue in its place, with demolition works set to start next month, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.
But Whitehorse Ratepayers and Residents Association member David Solly said he was concerned about the cost of the project and has started a petition calling for the existing centre to be saved.
“The City of Monash has given their ratepayers a rate reduction in the middle of this COVID crisis and Whitehorse Council in its infinite wisdom has decided it will demolish a perfectly good performing arts centre,” he said.
Mr Solly, who is standing as a candidate in the upcoming council elections, said he believed ticket prices would rise by as much as $30 as a result of the upgrade, which would be a huge expense for families wanting to come to a show.
“If it’s unaffordable for parents like me to use then you wind up at the end of the day with a huge white elephant, that’s too expensive for anyone to afford to perform in,” Mr Solly said.
He said he believed the existing centre had another 20 years of life in it, and the council should upgrade the existing building, rather than build a new centre.
“What’s the urgency in demolishing what is basically a functional performing arts centre?” he said.
Fellow group member and former councillor Tanya Tescher was also concerned with the cost of the project.
“(The Whitehorse Centre) has got a few issues but everything can be fixed up; it doesn’t require $80 million to fix it up,” she said.
“At the moment I think a lot of people couldn’t afford to, given the pandemic, there are not going to be that many people who will be able to afford to pay $50 to see a musical show.”
A Whitehorse Council spokesperson said the old Whitehorse Centre was no longer fit for purpose.
“So the council made the decision to build a new accessible and flexible facility to provide an expanded array of arts and cultural opportunities for the entire Whitehorse community to enjoy for generations to come,” they said.
“The new facility is being built in line with the business case and feedback received through extensive community engagement, which began back in 2010.
“The facility is being funded with no borrowings.”
The spokesperson said the council recognised that many people in the community had been impacted by the global pandemic and it had put in place a range of support measures, resources and financial relief packages to help Whitehorse residents, businesses, community groups, sport and recreation clubs, and charities, to recover and get back on their feet.
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