CWA Hall reno runs into ‘unanticipated expenses’

Currently the renovations to the CWA Hall at Stanwell Park have stalled, with building costs higher than projected and some unanticipated expenses.

A renovation triggers certain compliance matters.

We now have to upgrade all the fly screens and screen off underneath the hall to ensure compliance with bushfire regulations.

We also have to ensure the backstage area is made accessible to people with a disability. While we always intended to make these changes we were hoping to complete these as a second stage. That will not be possible, so something else will have to go.

Members of the committee are currently negotiating with the builder who has been selected to see what we can complete with the money we have. In the meantime we are looking for alternative sources of additional funding.

On a happier note, we think that there will be minimal disruption to access to the hall during the build.

This is good news for the many groups that use the hall and the community members who participate.

Despite the restrictions due to Covid-19, most groups are trying to get back to as close to normal as possible while keeping safe.

I hope that I will be able to report some significant progress on the extension in next month’s magazine.