“Cramming” an art gallery into Mid-Western Regional Council’s administration precinct will impact on parking and building aesthetics, say councillors who voted against the potential site. 

A concept to incorporate a new building into council’s existing civic precinct in Market Street, Mudgee, was heavily criticised at Wednesday’s meeting. 

Under the plan the current tourism information building would be demolished and absorbed into a new building that would incorporate a gallery/cultural space and council customer service area. 

In his motion to defer the matter and explore alternate sites, councillor John Weatherley flagged the north western corner of Robertson Park as one alternative.  

“Seemed to me someone came up with the idea that it needs to be in a central location … all we’ve got is this jam packed thing, you’ll finish up with this blob of buildings all whacked in tight together,” Cr Weatherley said.  

He said he was passionate about developing a gallery but large costs would be incurred to explore the inappropriate council site.    

“Our experience with the proposal to put the library on South Bank virtually blew $150,000,” he said. 

Councillors John Webb, Percy Thompson and Esme Marten were in agreement. 

“I just think we’re cramming too much into one area. Surely something as important as this needs a really pristine area. Now we might have to go and buy [land],” Cr Webb said. 

Councillors Lucy White and Peter Shelley said exploration was necessary to securing a grant. 

“The whole idea is so we’ve got it ready and when funds become available we can have a really good dig at them,” Cr Shelley said. 

“If the site needs to be changed later on we can still change it. The issue is to get a proposal together so we can put in.” 

Cr White said exploring an option was not making a final decision. 

“Architects who deal in galleries will come up with concept plans to address things like location and parking,” she said. 

“To be saying ‘I don’t want a building wrapped around this one’ is absolute nonsense it’s not likely to happen … it may well be that the concept plans come back and say this site is not viable for the following reasons then we have the discussion and the decision.”

Mayor Des Kennedy said he was not adverse to the proposal that would hide the council’s ‘ugly’ building and demolish the information centre that would eventually be made redundant by technology. 

A majority vote saw the matter deferred for alternative site exploration.