BY early 2022, Bathurst will finally have a purpose-built location to store precious artworks and exhibit pieces.
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Construction is under way on the Central Tablelands Collections Facility, a state-of-the-art building that will be used by Bathurst Regional Council's cultural facilities to store their collections.
It will also be utilised by other councils, cultural facilities and private groups outside of Bathurst.
The $4.6 million facility is being jointly funded by Bathurst council and the NSW Government.
"It's so important to Bathurst, a great facility like this being built in partnership with the state government," mayor Bobby Bourke said.
"It'll be a great opportunity to store precious items that a lot of councils and people have around the place."
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said it was "exciting" that Bathurst would be the home of a facility to be shared by different users.
"There is nothing like this out here in the Central West, there is nothing like this is regional NSW, so it's going to be the first of its kind," he said.
"There is an opportunity for other councils to make sure that they are looking after those items that they currently might store, or those items that may be sitting in their sheds or their depots around their local communities."
He said it was being built in a way that would enable to host many collections when the doors first open, with an opportunity to expand the facility in future if more space is needed.
While the first thought from many people is that it will be used to store paintings and sculptures, collections facility project coordinator Tim Pike said that it will also house race cars, coaches, and fossils and minerals.
The building will also provide a virtual classroom, which Mr Pike said is really the heart of the facility.
"All our areas are very multi-use. That room is towards the front of the building and, for me, that's probably the heart of the building," he said.
"Yes, it will cater for virtual classrooms so we can do online training through our public programs section, but that room will also allow things such as conservation workshops ... and it also allows, when classrooms or workshops aren't on, that gives us the space to work, something that we haven't had up to now."
The Central Tablelands Collections Facility isn't just a boost for arts and culture, it is also supporting local jobs.
Bathurst-based Tablelands Builders is carry out construction, providing work to its permanent employees and many subcontractors.
Director Robert Barlow said the bulk excavation has been completed and construction is at the stage "where we can very soon get some piers put in and the slabs put down".
The facility is expected to open towards the end of the first quarter of 2022.
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