After much anticipation, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in northeast New South Wales has opened the doors to its Glasshouse Arts, Conference and Entertainment Centre.
The facility offers a level of technical, performance and art gallery excellence that is unsurpassed in regional New South Wales and possibly regional Australia.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council General Manager, Andrew Roach, said more than 10,000 people watched shows and exhibitions or participated in tours in the facility during the first two weeks of operation.
“Hourly tours every day for the first two months are almost booked out, as were the tickets to the first stage shows, ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Circus Oz’,” he said.
The centre features a 606 seat tiered theatre, a Regional Gallery with 600 square metres of international standard exhibition space over three levels, a flexible exhibition and performance studio, multipurpose meeting and conference rooms, and a community workshop space.
It also features a café/bar, outdoor forecourt and office space, as well as a tourism information centre and retail space.
The centre is located in Port Macquarie’s CBD, which has a long history of providing the location for civic buildings, with the School of Arts, Council Chambers, and the Civic Centre, Library and Art Gallery having occupied the site.
The archaeological work and interpretive design elements throughout the Glasshouse Centre highlight this history.
However, amidst the grandeur, the contractual, project management and financial challenges of a facility this complex have taken a toll.
Council has been under Administration since February 2008, when the previous Council was dismissed.
One of the key issues leading to Council’s dismissal was the assertion that it had failed to consult with the wider community and involve them in the planning for the centre.
“Implementing effective community consultation practices and addressing the negative perceptions of past consultation efforts has become a key area of focus for Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in the 12 months since we went into Administration,” Andrew Roach said.
“We have publicly declared a new era of community consultation and engagement.
“In the past year, our rural consultation program has seen senior staff schedule site visits to outlying villages and properties to meet residents.
“Council meetings have also been held in villages outside of the organisation’s Port Macquarie headquarters.”
This consultation has been taken to another level in recent months.
In June, Council hosted a community forum, where 120 people from across the area pre registered to spend a day offering their thoughts and views on Council’s priorities for 2030.
In July, ‘PMHC Listening’, an online community forum was also launched.
This forum is being used to post discussions, detailed plans and surveys, and to seek input from residents.
Working in combination with traditional face to face community consultation, the online discussion creates an opportunity for more people to gain access and have their say.
“The Glasshouse represents a new cultural heart for Port Macquarie-Hastings and its success to date bodes well,” Andrew Roach said.
“But rebuilding trust, effectively engaging the community and implementing a return to core services amid financial pressure are the legacies we still face.”
