The re-opening of the Maryborough Town Hall remains a high priority for Central Goldfields Shire with the process to secure a contractor to carry out the required electrical works moving another step closer.
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said Council was committed to seeing the Town Hall re-opened for community use.
“The Town Hall is a valued community asset with architectural significance as a notable and largely intact example of a late nineteenth century provincial town hall, and as a major public building designed by the prominent Melbourne architect George Johnson.
“In the short term our immediate goal is to appoint a contractor to carry out the electrical work that is needed for this community facility to re-open.
“Unfortunately finding a suitable contractor has been more difficult than anticipated. After three unsuccessful tender processes we’ve reviewed the scope of the project and have just conducted a successful EOI process targeted at contractors with experience working on heritage buildings.
“The next step is for us to review the contractors who applied through the EOI and create a shortlist of contractors are suitably qualified to submit and tender. We’re confident, given a slight drop off in the market, and with a renewed project scope we’ll be able to appoint a contractor in October with a view that the project would commence as soon as they have capacity to begin.
“This stage of work, which would also see the reinstatement of the council chambers, is made possible thanks to funding through the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and Council.
“Alongside this work, Officers are currently working on a full audit of the building against the Building Code and Disability Discrimination Act and investigating Heritage Conservation elements to develop a short, medium and long-term strategy to bring the building up to contemporary standards.
“Long term, we will continue to seek funding opportunities that would see us be able to restore the Town Hall to its former glory. Additional funding would allow us to carry out additional upgrade works so that the Hall could be more widely used and open more often.
“These additional upgrade works would include creation of a function and modernised performance space, regional conferencing facilities as well as community and creative industry spaces.
“The Maryborough Town Hall forms a central part of the full civic upgrade planned for Maryborough which will support the town to further cement its role as a regional centre, serving communities across the area in terms of access to new, high quality cultural, civic and wellbeing opportunities.”
