![BIG PLANS: Tamworth Regional Council Entertainment Venues manager Peter Ross. Photo: Peter Hardin, file BIG PLANS: Tamworth Regional Council Entertainment Venues manager Peter Ross. Photo: Peter Hardin, file](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cody.tsaousis/051a0ff4-95f6-452a-9623-04148c420aa2.jpg/r0_0_5031_3354_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
TAMWORTH Regional Council (TRC) is still confident of the Performing Arts and Cultural Precinct getting underway this year, as it prepares to apply for funding before the next state budget.
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The project has been on hold recently according to TRC manager of entertainment venues Peter Ross, who said COVID and local government elections have got in the way.
"It's been treading water just for a small period while we were going through the council elections," he said.
"But during that period we have been having discussions and updating both Barnaby [Joyce, Member for New England] and Kevin [Anderson, Tamworth MP] and doing some work internally on possible funding strategies.
"So even though council elections and COVID have paused us a little, we've been moving behind the scenes on keeping things ticking over."
He said the initial cost of the project, which was set to be roughly $128 million, will have risen slightly due to the rising cost of construction and materials, but exactly how much by will not be determined until a lead architect is hired.
Finding someone for that role was said to have been the 'next step' back in February 2021, but Mr Ross said it would occur shortly after councillors took part in a workshop on the project, which is expected to be in March.
Construction was originally scheduled to begin in October 2022, although that will hinge on securing funding in the upcoming state budget. Mr Ross said council was confident they would be able to apply for funding in time for that to happen.
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"The figure that's out there is a pretty close figure, $128 million, it's a huge game-changing project and when you break down that figure it includes quite a lot and cuts right across quite a lot of the community as far as use and benefits go," he said.
"The tricky thing with a project of this size is that a lot of the pots of money that are existing out there may only be up to $10 million each pot.
"So certainly we'd be looking to Kevin with the state government, as well as the federal, to be looking at it as the next step up."
He said getting it registered as a major project or of state significance would help greatly, and he would like to see at least a dedication of money from the government this year.
Mr Anderson had previously said he was looking forward to fighting for the project, but could not secure funding until council got their 'ducks in a row'.
The clock is ticking on the project too, with the lease on the Capitol Theatre, which is set to be a key component of the precinct, running out in November 2023.
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