Arts slash fear

By Tania Martin
THE future of the hills state-of-the-art $9.6 million art centre upgrade could be in doubt with fears of the Federal cash being withdrawn.
The Burrinja Cultural Centre upgrade was thrown a lifeline last August when the Federal Government announced a $2 million boost for the project.
However, that is now in doubt with the Federal cash still not being delivered.
Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Tim Heenan said that it would be ‘devastating’ if the cash was pulled from the project.
But he said the council believes that the funding would still be forthcoming.
“We (the council) are trying to make sure the Federal Government is accountable for the cash that was promised,” Cr Heenan said.
Cr Heenan said the new Labor Government was currently undertaking a review of all the funding commitments that were made under the previous Liberal Government.
But he said the shire had written to the Federal Government to make sure the funding for Burrinja was secure.
“I think we have a solid case to make sure the funding is still there,” Cr Heenan said.
These comments come as La Trobe MP Jason Wood called for the Government to sign off on a contract for the Federal cash.
Mr Wood recently (20 March) told Parliament that the formal contract had yet to be signed and the project had stalled.
“Apparently the Labor Government’s philosophy is that if the final contract has not been signed, it is fair game for its razor gang,” he said.
“It’s time for the Government to make their position on the status on this project clear.”
In August last year the Mail reported in its story, Centre Bale-out that a $2 million cash boost had thrown the arts centre project a lifeline.
The funding was earmarked to save the project for a 410-seat auditorium and indigenous cultural education garden from falling apart.
The long-awaited performing arts centre project has been in the pipeline for decades but it only became a reality in May 2006 when the State Government pledged $3 million towards the program, which is in addition to the Shire of Yarra Ranges $4.6 million.
Cr Heenan said it would be disastrous if the funding was withdrawn from the project.
“If that happens I will personally go and meet with the Minister and plead our case,” he said.
Cr Heenan said the whole project would have to be reassessed and years of hard work would be thrown down the drain. “We would have to reassess the whole project if that happened,” he said.
Despite fears that the project has stalled, a spokeswoman for the Burrinja Gallery said that there had been no news about the funding.
“We have no reason to believe we won’t be getting the funding,” she said.
Mr Wood said that with a budget surplus of more than $20 billion, it was nothing to spend $2 million on an art centre.
Hills people are now being urged to write to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appealing for the funding to be finalised.
“No one seems to know anything and the Government’s not responding to our concerns,” Mr Wood said.
The Mail contacted the Federal Government but was unable to get a response before going to print.