Behind the Scenes at the Roxy #3 - NSW Minister for the Arts Visits

Published on 04 July 2022

The Roxy build site is currently accessible to only builders, tradies, engineers and architects working on what is considered one of the Riverina’s most exciting - and most sensitive - heritage projects, however, special permission was granted by the Lloyd Group for the NSW Minister for the Arts, the Hon Ben Franklin, to have an escorted ‘sneak peak’ when he visited Leeton in June 2022.

Minister Franklin proclaimed the project another example of the NSW Government’s strong commitment to Regional Arts and said “I can’t wait to see this spectacular project come to completion”.

Create NSW has contributed almost $4M to the project. The project has also received $1M from the Commonwealth’s Murray Darling Economic Development Fund.

Council is still pursuing $2.2M from the Australian Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) for the completion of Stage 2. BBRF funding announcements are apparently due to be made at the end of July.

Mrs Herrmann is looking forward to the Roxy project getting to a stage where the general public can also have an opportunity to look inside but says this can only occur when the demolition stage is over and public safety can be assured.

“The plan is to set aside some open days closer to Spring so that interested locals can view the build in progress from the inside. Build sites can be dangerous places so any public entry will have to be approved by the Lloyd Group first. We will definitely keep the community posted,” she said.

Image caption (right to left): Deputy Mayor and Arts & Culture Portfolio Lead - Cr Michael Kidd, Roxy Project Director - Katherine Herrmann, NSW Minister for the Arts the Hon Ben Franklin (centre front), Leeton Shire Project Manager - Gideon Vos (centre back), Lloyd Group Project Manager Phillip Miles and Llyod Group Site Manager Luke Hughes.