$10.4million raised for Opera House project

The Waitaki District Council has reached its target of raising the $10.4million dollars needed to complete the Oamaru Opera House restoration and refurbishment project.

The funds were raised from government sources, charitable foundations, council reserves and community fundraising.

“This $10.4million upgrade has only required a contribution of $3million from Council – 30%. Surely that is a fantastic deal for our whole community!” said Waitaki District Council CEO Michael Ross.

Mr Ross said the fund raising effort had continued right up to the opening of the Opera House and beyond. The council had raised a further $85,000 in the last fortnight through local sponsorship commitments

“Fund raising for the Oamaru Opera House has been achieved by the WDC team comprising corporate services group manager Stephen Halliwell, and opera house project co-ordinator Else McKenzie and it’s been hugely successful, raising a sum that exceeds our greatest expectations.”

“A lot of people believed we couldn’t do it,” added Stephen Halliwell “But well over 70 percent of the funding has come from outside the district.”

All the mayors of Otago supported the Waitaki District Council’s application to the Lotteries Grants Board Significant Projects fund, which demonstrated that the project was important to the entire region.

The Lotteries Grant Board contributed $4,586,846 million to the project while the Community Trust of Otago committed $1.5m in March 2007. At the time it was the largest donation outside Dunedin.

Locally the Oamaru Licensing Trust through the Trusts Charitable Foundation has contributed $306,627, and through the many events, fundraisers and corporate sponsorships the local community fundraising totalled $534,937.

“It underscores the commitment by the former Mayor Alan McLay that he would do his level best to ensure that rates would not be used to fund the project,” said Mr Ross. “The community should feel proud, and the volunteers and supporters need to be recognised. Without that community support we’d never have got the big money.”

“We can’t thank the funders, donors and sponsors enough for the role they had to play,” said Mayor Alec Familton. “Their significant contribution is a huge economic and social boost for our community,”