Museum and cultural square project underway in Orange

Development of the $8.1 million Orange Regional Museum and Cultural Square project is currently underway.

When complete the complex - near the city's library, art gallery, theatre and Orange City Council offices - will include new exhibition spaces, a local tourism centre, product shop and café beneath a distinctive sloping, grassed roof.

The building project has seen the demolition of Orange’s Visitors' Information Centre with tourism information staff now moved to the foyer of the Orange Regional Gallery where they'll be located for the next 12 to 18 months during construction work.

Orange Tourism Manager, Glenn Mickle, said so far there's been no impact on the Visitors' Centre's operations, telling the ABC “a great many of our enquires are online or phone and we have set up a call centre upstairs in the library to handle those enquires.

“I actually thought there'd be a down turn but at this stage it's as busy as ever.”

The Orange Regional Museum and Cultural Square was funded jointly by the Federal Government which provided $4 million, the Orange City Council which put in $3.1 million with the Orange Regional Museum Fund planning to raise another $1 million through community fundraising, an amount which is underwritten by the Council.

The NSW Government also provided the land to the value of $1 million.

The Orange Regional Museum Fund aims to give local people ‘ownership’ of the new exhibition complex.

In addition, a further allocation of $45,000 from the NSW Government's Arts and Cultural Development Program will help the new museum research and interpret Aboriginal and migration history in the region.

The Orange Regional Museum and Cultural Square was funded jointly by the Federal Government which provided $4 million, the Orange City Council which put in $3.1 million and it's planned another $1 million will be provided through community fundraising, an amount which is underwritten by the Council.

The NSW Government also provided the land to the value of $1 million.

23rd June 2014 - TWO YEAR OLD ORANGE AQUATIC CENTRE NEEDS REPAIR