Darwin Entertainment Centre threatened by debt

Darwin's Entertainment Centre has been operating at a loss for the past two years, recording a loss of $60,000 in 2008/09, and $30,000 in 2009/10.

In 2007/08, the centre made a profit of more than $70,000.

General Manager Hamish McDonald blamed the opening of the Darwin Convention Centre on the Waterfront in 2008, and the subsequent decline in venue hires for the deficits.

McDonald told NT News, "we've had a fair bit of business lost to the convention centre - which you'd expect - and a lot of community productions we used to see around Darwin have disappeared.

"So the musicals, superstar productions, the Eisteddfod - we used to have an annual Eisteddfod that would come here and occupy the venue for a couple of weeks - it's disappeared. So if you factor all those things in together, it's a loss of income and and that's contributed to our deficits."

McDonald also blamed an unsuccessful attempt to secure a funding increase.

The Darwin Entertainment Centre funding is split between the NT Government and the Darwin City Council.

McDonald said it wasn't a drop on box office sales that had led to a deficit, but a fall in venue hire for smaller conferences, adding âthe numbers coming through the door have remained pretty solid. Lack of people hiring the venue essentially is how we (are losing) our money, and not ticket sales.

"Through people hiring the venue, the stuff going to the Convention Centre, and the loss of those other shows - the superstar productions and the Eisteddfod - they've just put a hole in our revenues, essentially."

A consultant is reviewing the centre's operations, with a report and recommendations due out in March. 

4th July 2008 - DARWIN BECOMES THE NEWEST CONVENTION CITY IN AUSTRALIA

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