The Council will be seeking public input on the draft plan for the proposed Queenstown community centre on Stanley Street.

In October last year the Council decided to move forward with a master plan and concept designs which include an auditorium playhouse rehearsal space conference centre and underground carpark.

The draft site master plan and building concept plans will now be presented to the Council and the community next week project manager Ken Gousmett said.

Two public drop in sessions from 5 to 6.30pm on Wednesday May 31 and 12 to 1 30pm on Thursday June 1 were planned. Both sessions would be held at the Council chamber on Gorge Road.

We will have the project architects Nicholas Stevens and Gary Lawsons and our arts consultants Dorita Hannah and David Hyam on hand to talk though the plans with the community Mr Gousmett said.

Other meetings were also scheduled with specific user groups and stakeholders.

The process has been ticking along to get to this next step We now have some plans and designs that are ready for public input  From next week we will be actively seeking public comment on these designs Mr Gousmett said.

The draft design would be available for comment at the Council until the end of June.

At that point the site master plan and building concept plans will be completed and capital and operating costs prepared together he said.

The working party would also make recommendations of staging and funding to form a full feasibility report.

You can expect to see that report come before the full Council in August Mr Gousmett said.

The Council Community Plan CCP includes a budget in 2006 07 financial year of 180000 to complete design work Any future funding for the project will be the subject of an amendment to the CCP Generally the cost of building the centre will be met through grant funding developer contributions initially loan funded Lakeview land sales and private enterprise carpark and conference centre.

ENDS

For further information please contact Ken Gousmett 03 442 9071

By: Sarah