The federal government announced yesterday that it will provide $1 million towards the creation of a Margaret Olley Art Centre at the Tweed River Art Gallery in Murwillumbah.
The mayor of Tweed, councillor Barry Longland, said the federal government contribution was a valuable and greatly appreciated step towards realising a vision to establish the Margaret Olley Art Cente in the Tweed.
‘The federal government’s contribution million will go a long way towards finding the extra funds needed to complete the extension,’ he said.
The federal funding was originally allocated for the construction of a new Tweed regional museum at Tweed Heads, through the Better Regions program.
However, planning issues have delayed the completion of development approval for the Flagstaff Hill complex and it was evident that project would not be finalised before the funding deadline.
The president of the gallery foundation, Warren Polglase, said: ‘We’re thrilled the federal government has seen fit to redirect these funds to the Margaret Olley Art Centre’.
Cr Longland emphasised the reallocation of funds would not have a significant impact on the upgrading of museum facilities in the Tweed.
‘The extension of the Tweed River Regional Museum in Murwillumbah, and the construction of a regional storage facility in South Murwillumbah, to help house the gallery collections, are funded separately and will not be affected at all,’ he said.
‘The Flagstaff Hill facility remains in the pipeline and will proceed once zoning issues and development approval is finalised and funds can be sourced elsewhere.’
