An Albury arts project that received $1.3 million funding yesterday is estimated to create up to nine new jobs during construction and four more once operational.
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PumpHouse Creative Enterprises involves upgrading the heritage listed pump station, a Wonga Wetlands farmhouse and the Albury Botanic Gardens curator’s cottage for workshops and artist residencies.
Albury Council’s business plan suggests the scheme will generate an additional $3.27 million a year in direct and indirect benefits to the economy of Albury-Wodonga during the works.
Scheduled to be up and running by mid-2020, the project is expected to deliver a combined regional impact of $915,000 a year.
The funding, announced by Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro and Member for Albury Greg Aplin, came from the NSW government’s regional cultural fund.
Mr Aplin said PumpHouse Creative Enterprises would bring together HotHouse Theatre, Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Murray Art Museum Albury and Albury Botanic Gardens to nurture new talent.
“The project will include a PumpHouse Makerspace for workshops across industrial design, woodwork, metalwork, ceramics and printmaking,” he said.
After the existing sites, A Month In The Country at Wonga Wetlands and MAMA House in the gardens, have been improved, residency opportunities will be offered to national and international artists.
Albury mayor Kevin Mack welcomed the meaningful reuse of the heritage pump house.
“This is an exciting project which will create new jobs in the arts for Albury and the region and builds on the already strong arts sector,” Cr Mack said.
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