TWO essential features for a proposed Orange museum are missing from a vision statement created by the Integrated Cultural Facility Reference Group, according to Orange Regional Museum Advancement Association president Rodney Tonkin.
Mr Tonkin said he would work to convince the other group members to include the aspects relating to the entrance of the proposed facility, which he believes are essential for “the concept and eventual patronage”.
“There are three or four motions that I wish to put to the next meeting of the reference group that will push the whole thing forward if there’s agreement in regards to the vision statement,” he said.
Mr Tonkin said plans put forward by a government architect in 2009 “had a number of flaws” that needed to be ironed out.
“It tore apart the art gallery and didn’t have sufficient space for a museum,” he said.
“The brief has been tabled with the reference group and they’ve come back with a vision statement covering 90 per cent of the brief but there were one or two essential aspects not covered.”
Mr Tonkin is now pushing for Orange City Council to call for tenders for new architectural plans for the museum.
“We’re making progress but it’s important we get this tender out and we have plans formalised that are acceptable by the end of October,” he said.
Council spokesman Nick Redmond said the project would go to tender for initial concept designs after the reference group made their final decisions about what should be included in the brief.
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