Community
13 September, 2024
Theatre transformation another step closer
THE Camperdown Theatre Complex Transformation Project is another step closer to becoming a reality after Corangamite Shire Council voted to approve the business case and associated planning documents at last month’s council meeting.
Councillors unanimously voted to approve the package - which includes a cost-benefit analysis, business case, staging plan, concept designs and project brief – and are aiming to continue advocating for funding.
The project began with a study in 2020 and 2021, which identified there were spaces within the Theatre Complex that were being underutilised.
Following the adoption of the masterplan in October 2021, council has been working towards improving the various facilities within the complex.
Cr Laurie Hickey said the complex was a “very important part of the fabric of Camperdown”.
“Of course, the Theatre Royal is home to the award-winning Camperdown Theatre Company, and this is despiteneed for updates of some of the facilities around the back and the actors’ change rooms and some of the accesses around the place,” he said.
“The transformation project plans to address a lot of these areas and provide a multi-use facility that will transform underutilized spaces into more significant areas that can be utilised by many members of the community.
“It will require continued advocating for money to continue with this project but having a plan in place initially is a great start.
“Working through the business case, the cost-benefit analysis to the community and the concept and design of the new facility has been thoroughly undertaken, and it is quite the exciting prospect.”
The complex includes the main Theatre Royal area, an upstairs gallery, various commercial spaces, a Mechanics Institute, the Camperdown Library, the Senior Citizen’s Centre, a commercial kitchen, the McCabe and Killara meeting rooms, and the old sports stadium.
Cr Ruth Gstrein said the project was “exciting”, but a lot needed to be done to help improve the complex.
“I think anybody who’s walked through the Theatre Royal Complex would agree with me that it’s a bit of a rabbit warren,” she said.
“There are a lot of issues, particularly around accessibility to the first floor above the Theatre Royal and the rooms extending are, as we’ve mentioned, are underused and so I think it’s certainly a big project.
“We’ve got it costed into five stages, and it has a bottom line of $15.6 million, which sounds like a lot of money, but we need to start somewhere, and we start from stage one.”
Planned works include the provision of additional areas for the theatre, as well as upgrades to improve accessibility from the street.
Cr Gstrein said there was one planned upgrade that she was particularly excited about.
“I’m really delighted, being a crazy library person, to see that an upgraded and contemporary library space has been provided,” she said.
“I think that’s in about stage three, so I wouldn’t mind seeing that bumped forward a little bit if we can.
“It’s an exciting project, and one has said it is a much-loved community asset and the Theatre Royal itself will be 100 years old in 2027.
“It would be great if we could get some work started prior to that.”
Cr Nick Cole said he “fully supported” the project.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing, the upgrade, because as Cr Gstrein just said it’s a bit of a rabbit warren in lots of spots around here at the moment,” he said.
“It needs a refresh and an update of the external section of the building, (which) is not being touched in any way or altered in any way which is a good thing because it is one of the amazing buildings of the shire and one of the amazing buildings that we have in Victoria.
“I know there is a book coming out soon and the photographer was around here taking photographs of the building - got an amazing shot.
“He said, “I hope it’ll make the cut – it has been one of the true outstanding buildings in Camperdown.”
“We’re truly lucky to have an extraordinary array of historical buildings of architectural significance in the town, this area being one of them.”
Cr Hickey said the Camperdown Theatre Complex Transformation Project was once of council’s key advocacy priorities.
“It would be fabulous if this transformation does receive funding to go ahead with it,” he said.