Timaru councillor calls on community to consider fundraising effort for theatre

Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Owen Jackson talks about the decision to can the Theatre Royal and Heritage Hub project in Timaru.

One of those involved in the decision to can Timaru’s Theatre Royal and Heritage Hub project says he is “gutted’’ and is now calling on the community to consider a fundraising effort to save the heritage building.

Timaru District councillor Owen Jackson was one of only two councillors to vote in favour of a long-proposed plan to redevelop the Theatre Royal and create a new heritage facility at an extraordinary council meeting on July 16.

Jackson, and fellow councillor Peter Burt were outvoted, with seven other councillors preferring to can the $57 million project in favour of further exploring an alternative plan.

“I have spent the past week and a half with my phone ringing constantly from people who are devastated, and disgusted,’’ Jackson said.

“It boggles my mind. We threw out a perfectly good project which was ready to go after working on it for five years.’’

Jackson felt a claim made at the council’s Long-Term Plan hearings, where it was suggested the project could be built for a third of the $57.1 million budgeted for it, was “pie-in-the-sky talk”.

He said he had been happy to look at a Plan B, but said what was produced was “very last minute’’.

“It all looked whizz-bang and we’re prepared to sacrifice the library to do this. There doesn’t seem to be much thought into the parking, sight lines.”

Timaru District Councillor Owen Jackson outside Timaru’s Theatre Royal on Stafford St.

He said it felt like the council had done a “complete U-turn’’ and ditched the south end of town.

“And what’s going to happen to the theatre?’’

Twice the community had made its position clear by overwhelmingly supporting a proposal to upgrade Timaru’s Theatre Royal, firstly with 78% in support in submissions to the 2018-28 Long Term Plan, and the second after the budget had hit $57.1m with 80.49% in support.

The first was during its 2018-2028 LTP when there was overwhelming support for the upgrade of the theatre, with 78% of respondents supporting either a full upgrade or a stage upgrade.

During consultation the redevelopment of the museum was also raised and as a result the council agreed to progress with a new multi-purpose heritage facility.

Timaru District councillor Owen Jackson is one of only two councillors to vote in favour of a long-proposed plan to redevelop the Theatre Royal and create a new heritage facility.

Of the 632 submissions received in 2022, 515 (80.49%) supported council’s favoured option, Option 1, estimated to cost $57.1m. Option 2 ($56.1m estimate) drew 15 (2.37%) supporters, Option 3 ($40m estimate) 50 (7.91%), and 52 (8.23%) voted for “other”, which included those who did not want the project to proceed.

The Theatre Royal in Timaru’s Stafford St has been closed since 2019.

He said the decision to ditch the project was also akin to telling those who had worked up the proposal that what they had done was wrong.

“These people are the experts and we told them they were wrong.’’

He compared the situation to a bride being ditched at the altar.

“She’s left standing there.’’

A flythrough provided by Thompson Construction and Engineering showing a proposal to create a multi-use facility at the site of Timaru's library.

He said he found it hard to believe that another option would be cheaper than the theatre, saying the price would “skyrocket’’.

He said the council was no closer to completing the project than it was two years ago, when he was first voted in as a councillor.

“Don’t get me wrong, I understood it [the project] is very divisive, but the rates were going to go up regardless.

“We’ve made a pig’s ear of it.

“We’re back on the merry-go-round – it’s not good enough.’’

He said he wanted to apologise to previous councillors who had embarked on the project.

“I feel disappointed for the community.’’

Jackson said, at an upcoming meeting, he would table that when the council goes out to the public on the project one option could be for the council to use its designs and consents for the project, which it owned, and offer it for local contractors to complete.

An aerial view showing the Theatre Royal on Timaru’s Stafford St, and the back of the former Majestic Theatre in the foreground.

“After spending $3.25m and thousands of council hours to get to this point as well as potentially having to pay back $4m of government money, we owe it to our community to keep this option open,’’ he said.

“We will never the opportunity to offer our community such a unique and important piece of community infrastructure at $45.5m again.’’

It would also help revitalise the south end of Stafford St, he said.

“I will be suggesting that if the community wants this to go ahead then interested parties should consider some fundraising as we did did for CPlay.

“I’d be happy to help facilitate that.’’