THE Bowral School of Arts could soon house the Highlands new Regional Gallery following a decision by Council last week to engage a consultant to prepare a detailed architectural assessment for the use of the facility as part of its ongoing feasibility study.

The move is the result a report of the project’s steering committee presented to Council at its Wednesday night meeting which concluded the “most appropriate option for a new Regional Gallery ... with potential use of a part of the adjoining Bowral Memorial Hall, subject to a detailed architectural assessment being undertaken”.

The commissioning of the assessment and concept plan was agreed to by Council under the condition it be undertaken at a cost not exceeding $5000 to be funded from the Contingency Vote.

One aim of the assessment will be to establish a firm account of likely development costs, which it is anticipated will be Council’s funding responsibility unless other government funding can be obtained.

The steering committee consists of representatives from the Arts and Culture Board, Crs Carter and Fairall and representatives from the current Southern Highlands Regional Gallery.

Its report is partly based on the results of a survey questionnaire to all private addresses in the Shire designed to gauge the level of community support for a gallery and the functions that a gallery could be expected to undertake.

The committee also visited a number of existing regional galleries throughout NSW, including Campbelltown, Goulburn and Wollongong as well as investigating alternative Council-owned sites in the Shire.

According to the committee’s report, the total budgeted annual expenses for a typical mid-range Regional Gallery range from $250,000 to $350,000, with 70 percent of these expenses covered by local governments on average.

It stated 78.2 percent of the 1,052 respondents to the gallery questionnaire supported the establishment of a public gallery in the Shire and 81.6 percent intended to patronise such a gallery.