The Lake Benalla foreshore redevelopment has been a contentious issue in recent months.
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With some confusion in the community over the project, the future of the Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre (BPACC) and the reasons for a new cinema, Benalla Rural City Mayor Danny Claridge spoke with the Ensign on Wednesday to explain the project in more detail.
Some have expressed their concern regarding the future of BPACC via Letters to the Editor.
But BPACC is not going anywhere. It is owned by Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE and unless they choose to close it, the venue should still be available to hire for live shows and performances.
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Cr Claridge said while the council did not own the building it had been in conversation with GOTAFE and the state government to see if BPACC could be retained as a community performing arts centre.
The cinema, which has a capacity of 344, has an average attendance of just 26 people per screening.
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Even if the council did own the building it would likely prove challenging to make it a profitable venture without ratepayer subsidies.
Cr Claridge said the other issue was that in 2018 when the council's contract with GOTAFE to operate BPACC expired it was GOTAFE that decided against renewing the management agreement.
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He said at that time the council was aware the community wanted a cinema, and the idea of simply closing BPACC's cinema, without an alternative, would not have been popular.
“When we lost the management agreement with GOTAFE we also lost funding from them, and Creative Victoria, which amounted to about $140,000 per year,” Cr Claridge said.
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“Without that, ratepayers would have to pick up the shortfall - and the BPACC Cinema was already losing money despite having that extra $140,000 per year.
“From that period on we started to look at what we could do to provide a cinema for the community if BPACC was not suitable.
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“So we looked at all buildings in Benalla that might have been suitable.”
The idea to move the cinema was in place, along with plans to develop the Lake Benalla foreshore.
Many of those ideas, such as completing the Aboriginal Garden, had been spoken of for years.
In the ensuing months, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. While there were very few upsides to the pandemic, in June 2020 the state government released $2.5 million for Benalla, intended to stimulate the local economy and ease the impact of the pandemic.
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Benalla Rural City Council had its own funding in place for upgrades to the Visitor Information Centre (VIC), and topped the state funding up by $500,000, which would not only allow for a new cinema to be built, and the VIC to be expanded, but for a number of other projects, both on the foreshore and in the CBD.
“There are 16 projects in total that will fund,” Cr Claridge said.
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“Those range from the Aboriginal Garden to the cinema, Visitor Information Centre and museum upgrades - to the new lakeside barbecues and the sealing of the road behind the library.”
Cr Claridge said that funding was already in place and there would be no extra cost to ratepayers for those projects.
“We have been working with the Costume and Kelly Museum, and the historical society for a couple of years and we have a design that we are happy with.”
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Cr Claridge said the designs would be released in the next month.
He confirmed the new cinema would be different to a typical, large-scale cinema, and would provide armchair-style seating for 50 to 60 people.
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Cr Claridge also clarified the purpose of funding in place for Benalla Art Gallery.
In November 2020 it was announced that the council would receive $3 million in state government funding for upgrades to Benalla Art Gallery.
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Those upgrades include:
● Construction of a secure off-site facility for the optimal storage of art and cultural artefacts;
● Works to enhance the gallery cafe offering;
● Enhancement of staff facilities for back-of-house operations; and
● Works to enhance entry into the gallery and expand the display area.
“The funding for the art gallery is primarily to build a secure storage for the artworks which has been needed for the last 20 years,” Cr Claridge said.
“We have $25 million of art that needs to be looked after, and the remaining grant money will go towards upgrading the foyer and entry to the gallery.”
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