The newly-elected Timaru District Council is going out to the public for input on plans for the Theatre Royal.
At last week’s inaugural meeting of the new council, councillors discussed what options should be included in the consultation process, as the costs of the upgrade continue to rise.
In September it was revealed that the original price of $26.5 million for the upgrade had increased to options of $57.1 million, $56.1 million or $40 million.
The cost of the upgrade will depend on whatever option the council chooses but Cr Allan Booth said they needed to ‘‘stop the madness’’, as the cost for the theatre had got out of hand.
‘‘It’s a theatre — let’s get real here. We have got other projects that are actually probably more important than this.’’
The council has already spent $3.1 million on the project, and each option includes an increase of rates with option one rising by 0.75%, option two by 0.74% and option three by 0.68%.
Cr Booth said he wanted an option included in which the public could vote to do nothing.
‘‘I think the public deserves to have the option in there to do nothing.’’
He also suggested that another option be added into the consultation process that would involve the theatre being turned into a multipurpose facility.
‘‘When you’re getting to this scale, you could get three or four things including a theatre for the amount of money we’re talking about.’’
Cr Stacey Scott said that she personally would like to see the option of a new build back on the cards.
‘‘I think there is an opportunity to size this theatre appropriately for this community.’’
Cr Stu Piddington raised his concern with how option three was worded, as it did not highlight the risk of potentially losing the $11.6 million funding from the Ministry of Business and Innovation.
Mayor Nigel Bowen concluded the discussion with a motion to rework Cr Piddington’s changes into the consultation, with an emphasis on the feedback section for the public to have their say.
‘‘I do have faith in the community that they will tell us exactly what they want. It might not be what we want to hear, but they will give us their feedback.”
The motion was carried by all councillors except Cr Booth.
The consultation process that begins today will include public drop-in sessions. People can submit consultation feedback online. The consultation period will end at 6pm on November 24.