THERE has been a strong show of support for the council's $128 million plan for the performing arts precinct in the CBD.
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Tamworth councillors will vote on the business case for the big-ticket project at Tuesday's meeting.
The council's venue manager Peter Ross has been driving the project and he said community feedback proved there was a high value placed on live entertainment.
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He said the Capitol Theatre couldn't cater for larger events with limits on space but the demand was growing.
"The Capitol has been great and it has proved that the city wants to go out and get live entertainment," Mr Ross said.
"It is nice from an audience perspective, but when you go back of house, there is not much wing-space so we can't get some of those bigger shows and there is not many dressing rooms."
There were 74 submissions made to the council during the community consultation period with more than 94 per cent strongly in favour of the project.
The comprehensive plan includes a 600-seat theatre, a 200-seat studio, function and rehearsal spaces, outdoor event area, an amphitheatre.
There will also be new space for the ABC and a home for the conservatorium of music, with expansions to the gallery and library.
While it would be a huge new facility for the city, Mr Ross said there would still be a home for existing venues like the TRECC, AELEC and town hall.
"Having those few extra hundreds seats means it is more economical and financially viable for promoters and for us," he said. Mr Ross said it would help attract bigger conferences, musicals and ballets to town.
The project will need funding from the state, federal and local government.
While there are funding programs with projects like this in mind, there are concerns about the current federal government's weighting on the arts.
The federal arts department was recently swallowed-up by infrastructure in a public service restructure.
Mr Ross said the move was "disappointing" but also presented an opportunity.
"It is really exiting that the arts is in with infrastructure," he said. "This is a cultural, arts infrastructure project, so it will be great to be dealing with the one minister."
The council will also vote to allocate a further $55,000 for a functional and technical design brief.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
