Orange City Council backs ‘intergenerational’ Conservatorium and Planetarium project

With Orange City Council having agreed to contribute up to $18.5 million to fund a shortfall in grants, work to build a new home for the Orange Regional Conservatorium (ORC) and Planetarium is set to commence in the coming months.

Council awarded the tender for the project to local construction company Renascent, the same company which built Orange Regional Galley extension and is in the process of building the new Wentworth Golf Club and associated facilities.

The budget for the $33.5 million project is shared between:

• the Australian Government’s Community Development Grants program ($10 million)

• the NSW Government’s Creative Capital Funding program ($5 million)

• Orange City Council (up to $18.5 million)

Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said he is proud the Council decided to back a project of this scale with benefits that will be felt for decades into the future adding “this is the biggest contribution that Council has made to a single project.

“That’s a sign of how important this project is to the community of Orange. It really is an intergenerational project that will help shape the culture of Orange into the future. It is a great community education facility with more than 1400 enrolments and students aged from 1-year olds through to people in their eighties.”

Orange City Council’s Conservatorium & Planetarium Community Committee Chair Kevin Duffy also serves as chair of the Council Finance Committee and shared “the community hears from time to time that the Council is in good financial shape when it comes to financial measures like the debt service ratio.

“The practical value of factors like that, really come into their own when we have a major project where we have to match government grants dollar-for-dollar.”

“We’re now in a position where we can use a mix of property sales and borrowings to deliver a project like this, and still be in good financial shape.”

ORC Management Committee Chair Pam Ryan is excited by the decision and noted “this decision represents an enormous leap forward for the Orange Regional Conservatorium and our vibrant community. It will further strengthen our highly successful programs, ensuring that we continue to nurture and inspire the next generation of musicians.”

ORC Director, Donna Riles also welcomed the news enthusing “this state-of-the-art building is not just a home for music. It is a testament to the power of collaboration and the belief in the transformative potential of the arts. We are tremendously excited about the countless possibilities this new facility will unlock.”

The first phase of community fund-raising coordinated by the Conservatorium to deliver a high-quality fit-out of the new facility has already raised $900,000 towards a $1.5 million target. The ORC now has the certainty to move onto the second phase of the fundraising campaign.

The project includes:

• a 275-seat auditorium (with capacity built in for additional 48 seats or additional stage)

• a 65-seat planetarium auditorium

• 40 practice studios and rehearsal spaces

• front and back of house facilities including main lobby, bar and kitchen

• office space, amenities and ancillary spaces

The first work will involve site preparation on the land north of the Orange Regional Gallery

The 17th October meeting decided to fund a shortfall of up to $18.5 million via the following means:

• the proceeds of selling the current Conservatorium site in Hill Street

• the proceeds from other property sales, and

• a combination of external borrowings and internal borrowings

Image: TENDER AWARDED:  Celebrating the awarding of the construction tender are (from left) Cr Kevin Duffy, Planetarium supporter Rod Somerville, ORC Committee chair Pam Ryan, ORC Director Donna Riles