After weeks of discussion, an application for the Stronger Country Communities Fund towards Stage Two and Three of the Moree Civic Precinct redevelopment program will definitely not be going ahead.
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With the application to be for more than $680,000, councillor John Tramby returned with an altered motion to just include Stage One in the application for $434,000, minus a co-funding contribution of $108,500, reducing the grant application to $325,500.
If successful, a 355 committee would be established to be responsible for the day to day operation of the facility and would be responsible for all costs and operations of the facility and therefore come at no extra cost to council.
Following council's resolution at its meeting on September 12, Cr Tramby called for community to support the new motion through the public forum.
There were multiple supporters for the project, from local residents, to representatives of the Aboriginal Legal Service and Just Reinvest NSW, as well as the PCYC.
Cr Tramby said the concerns over the large cost of his original motion were justified, but believed this new motion had solved those concerns that were raised, with the introduction of a 355 committee to ensure there were no extra cost for council.
He also believed council needed to listen to the community who largely support a cinema in Moree.
"We've got just over 1000 signatures supporting this particular venture, and that's a pretty good number to have when there's not many people going into our shops," Cr Tramby said.
"The business houses of Moree recognise the loss to other towns when people go shopping. They wanted the support to keep people in town and not travel."
Councillor Kerry Cassells also spoke very strongly in support for the cinema.
"We've got to think about the whole livability of the town and we've got nothing," she said.
"We've got all this infrastructure coming, where are people going to go? We all have to have somewhere to go.
"At least have some compassion about endorsing a place for cinema if it's not going to be the banquet hall. Please just think about it."
Cr Tramby also raised concerns about the population decline in Moree, and providing children somewhere to go in town.
"We're trying to assist a situation where children walk our streets at night. This is just one tiny step at no cost to council," he said.
Mayor Katrina Humphries raised concerns about taking up a significant chunk of the $815,000 available for the Moree Plains Shire, with other applications also entered, both known to council and unknown.
In the end, the motion was down voted by five votes to four.
Cr Tramby said he was "very disappointed for Moree" following the vote.
"My apologies to the grandparents and elderly people and that P-platers that have to travel long distances because I couldn't convince my fellow councillors the benefits of a cinema in Moree.
"No one disputed the fact that it could be run at no cost to council with the 355 committee concept.
"It was a grant, it was not repayable and a personal donation of $108,500 to ensure it would be operational."
Additionally, council resolved to remove the Max out MAAC application, due to potential extra maintenance costs for the project that would need to be sorted.
"I think there will be opportunities down the track for this to be done," Cr Humphries said.
"I feel quite strongly about this, with the opportunity that our shire has right across the board that we are all putting in applications that will be strong and ready to go without us endorsing an application that we know we have issues around."
