Happy with Cowes centre progress, what about the cost?

CONTROVERSY still hangs over the Cowes Cultural and Community Centre, presently under construction, not just because it jumped the queue of preferred projects on Phillip Island but also because of the cost.

Officially, the project has already blown out from its original estimate of $19.2 million, when the Bass Coast Shire Council voted to go ahead with it in October 2019, to $27.2 million.

Earlier, in 2016, Council had shelved a $16 million refurbishment of the centre.

At the September 21, 2022 council meeting Council resolved that a decision requiring its approval, about the Cowes Cultural and Community Centre, “be closed to members of the public pursuant to Section 66 (a) of the Local Government Act 2020, to consider this item as it deals with Council business information, being information that would prejudice the Council's position in commercial negotiations if prematurely released”.

Neither officers nor councillors have so far been prepared to say what decision was taken in relation to the new cultural centre, but there have been reports, from those engaged in the project, that the cost of the works are likely to increase.

Last week, following the Bass Coast Shire Council meeting, the Mayor Cr Michael Whelan said progress with construction had been satisfactory, despite the difficult weather conditions.

“They’ve made a start on the library now and they’re about to get the roof on as well,” said Cr Whelan.

To date the project has received $800,00 from the State Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, $2.5 million from the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund, $5 million from the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Program and a $10 million low-interest loan from the Community Infrastructure Loan Scheme; total $18.3 million.

It was also revealed at a recent council meeting, in answer to a question from Melissa Dagg about the shire’s capital works projects budget that the Cowes Cultural Centre had been allocated $750,000 from Council’s 2022 unbudgeted capital grants program.

Assuming this is additional funding from an outside source, the council will still have to repay the $10 million loan and upwards of $8 million in cash.

That’s $18 million from council and ratepayers’ resources, more if, as seems likely, the final cost goes up.

When will we know the final cost of the Cowes Cultural and Community Centre?

The extent to which we ever find out will be a test of the present disclosure rules under the revised Local Government Act.