A state-of-the-art collections facility is set to be built in Bathurst.

Bathurst MP Paul Toole joined Bathurst Mayor Graeme Hanger recently announced the $4.6 million project would be jointly funded with $2.3 million coming from the NSW Government and matched with a further $2.3 million from Bathurst Regional Council. Mr Toole said The Central Tablelands Collections Facility involves the construction of a purpose built, large scale repository, conservation and learning facility for regional NSW.

He said the facility will accommodate valuable and fragile collections, archives and other significant cultural items currently held under the custodial care of Bathurst Regional Council. “It will also provide much-needed storage along with collection management services including cataloguing, preventative and material conservation treatment, curatorial inspection of collections, digitisation, virtual classroom and onsite learning facilities.”

Mayor Graeme Hanger said the Collections Facility would cater for large collections through to collections from smaller regional volunteer run museums, historical societies, collection groups, education facilities and private collections. “It will also enhance Bathurst Regional Council’s existing cultural industry partnerships with the University of Melbourne’s Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, M&G NSW Digitisation Project and outreach programs and The Australian Museum through the Somerville Collection,” he said.

The funding of $2.3 million is from NSW Government’s Regional Cultural Fund.