Decision looms on plan to orchestrate cultural precinct
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Tuesday, 18 September, 2001 - 22:00
PERTH City Council has put forward a $20 million plan to house the soon-to-be-homeless WA Symphony Orchestra.
Councillors last week voted unanimously to contribute $4 million over the next two financial years to refurbish the Perth Concert Hall to meet WASO’s needs.
Both the WA Government and the Federal Government would have to commit $8 million to the proposal for it to succeed.
WASO is presently based at the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Adelaide Terrace headquarters, but the national broadcaster will be moving to a new East Perth headquarters in 2003.
Until recently, WASO looked set to move to a purpose-built premise at the University of WA.
But concerns that the city would lose one of its cultural icons prompted the council to put forward its alternative.
Lord Mayor Dr Peter Nattrass said WASO and the refurbished concert hall would become the centrepiece of a new cultural precinct.
“It is broader than just putting WASO into the Concert Hall, we are talking about linking WASO and the foreshore project,” he said.
“The primary reason for putting them in there is they will act as a catalyst for further development.”
Under the council’s plan, the concert hall would be re-furbished and a new recital hall and theatre would be con-structed at the number one car park on Terrace Road.
Dr Nattrass said he held fears that, if WASO moved to UWA, it would become a mere sub-sidiary of the Department of Music.
“Moving them to UWA is a negative decision. There are three boat clubs right out front and no provision for parking,” he said. “If WASO moves to the university it will be a very sad day for the city.”
University architect planner Frank Roberts said the UWA proposal involved the con-struction of a 600-seat rehearsal space and 400-seat performance hall.
Several sites had been examined but the boatshed car park across Hackett Drive was the most likely site.
Mr Roberts said locating WASO at UWA would allow for the creation of an Access Music Centre.
“If (WASO) comes here there is the potential to link it to the Department of Music and begin a community music access centre where people can come and take part in workshops and be examined,” he said.
“If it comes to UWA, the city could lose an icon, but a community music access centre is a very interesting concept.
“I know there are concerns by people in the orchestra that the UWA Department of Music would swallow it up, but that would not happen.”
A decision on the future home of WASO from Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale is imminent.
Councillors last week voted unanimously to contribute $4 million over the next two financial years to refurbish the Perth Concert Hall to meet WASO’s needs.
Both the WA Government and the Federal Government would have to commit $8 million to the proposal for it to succeed.
WASO is presently based at the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Adelaide Terrace headquarters, but the national broadcaster will be moving to a new East Perth headquarters in 2003.
Until recently, WASO looked set to move to a purpose-built premise at the University of WA.
But concerns that the city would lose one of its cultural icons prompted the council to put forward its alternative.
Lord Mayor Dr Peter Nattrass said WASO and the refurbished concert hall would become the centrepiece of a new cultural precinct.
“It is broader than just putting WASO into the Concert Hall, we are talking about linking WASO and the foreshore project,” he said.
“The primary reason for putting them in there is they will act as a catalyst for further development.”
Under the council’s plan, the concert hall would be re-furbished and a new recital hall and theatre would be con-structed at the number one car park on Terrace Road.
Dr Nattrass said he held fears that, if WASO moved to UWA, it would become a mere sub-sidiary of the Department of Music.
“Moving them to UWA is a negative decision. There are three boat clubs right out front and no provision for parking,” he said. “If WASO moves to the university it will be a very sad day for the city.”
University architect planner Frank Roberts said the UWA proposal involved the con-struction of a 600-seat rehearsal space and 400-seat performance hall.
Several sites had been examined but the boatshed car park across Hackett Drive was the most likely site.
Mr Roberts said locating WASO at UWA would allow for the creation of an Access Music Centre.
“If (WASO) comes here there is the potential to link it to the Department of Music and begin a community music access centre where people can come and take part in workshops and be examined,” he said.
“If it comes to UWA, the city could lose an icon, but a community music access centre is a very interesting concept.
“I know there are concerns by people in the orchestra that the UWA Department of Music would swallow it up, but that would not happen.”
A decision on the future home of WASO from Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale is imminent.