Work starts on Dubbo venue

Dubbo Mayor Greg Matthews and City Council General Manager Mark Riley have ceremonially begun work on the first stage of the Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre.

In planning since 1994, when completed the Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre will include a 500-seat tiered performing arts theatre. Sited next to the current Civic Centre, the venue is expected to be open by April 2010.

As Mayor Matthews explained, "this will be a regional facility and one that will enrich the quality of life for all residents in the Orana region - not just those living in Dubbo.

"The theatre is comparable in all technical aspects, apart from seat numbers, to the Sydney Theatre in Walsh Bay (and its) specialised acoustics, sound, lighting, a hydraulic orchestra pit, dressing rooms, a green room, fly-tower mechanics, CCTV security and air-conditioning will make this theatre a showpiece attraction for the region."