It has been an important month for cultural development in the Tweed, with a second major building contract for a community cultural facility awarded by Tweed Shire Council. Contracts have been awarded for extensions to both the Tweed River Regional Museum Murwillumbah and the Tweed River Art Gallery (the Margaret Olley Arts Centre).
Acting Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Michael Armstrong, said the news marked significant milestones in the continued development of the Tweed as a cultural destination.
“Tweed Shire Council is making significant investments in developing and supporting community life in the Tweed through these two extensions,” Councillor Armstrong said.
“As we watch these extensions take shape during 2013, we are not just seeing two buildings going up, we are witnessing the development of the Tweed – and Murwillumbah in particular – as both a cultural hub and destination for cultural tourism.”
The contract for the extensions to the Tweed River Regional Museum Murwillumbah was awarded to NSW firm, Ware Building Pty Ltd, for $1,586,830.00 (exclusive of GST). The building will be based on the concept design by award-winning architect Paul Berkemeier.
Council is contributing $2.9 million to planning, site works, renovation of the existing heritage building, construction of the new building and display development, while the State Government’s Arts NSW’s contribution is $250,000.
The awarding of the contract follows completion in 2012 of a dedicated, purpose-designed facility for storage of Museum collections.
“The completion of the collection store and the commencement of building work at Murwillumbah brings to fruition much of what was envisioned in the ground-breaking partnership established by Council and the historical societies in 2004,” Councillor Michael Armstrong said.
“That vision is a Tweed River Regional Museum that will preserve the history and heritage of the Tweed Shire now and into the future,” he said.
Substantial work has already been completed at Murwillumbah following relocation of more than 6000 collection items to the new purpose-built storage facility in south Murwillumbah and completion of major siteworks at the Queensland Road site in February 2013.
The new build-ing will provide climate-controlled space of more than 330 cubic metres for collection display, a major component of the new development.
The existing heritage building at the front of the property – the former Council Chambers built in 1915 – will also undergo renovation.
Construction is set to commence as soon as the weather clears, with com-pletion anticipated late this year or in early 2014.
