Federal Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain visited Yass and the Liberty Theatre last Friday and believes its restoration is ripe to lead a regional revival in Yass as a place to live and work.
“It (The Liberty) holds the potential for not only the restoration of the building but also the future of Yass, whatever it becomes. We really need to start thinking about how we reinvigorate our regional towns.”
“Its future may be theatre; its future may be a co-working hub, but I guess imagination needs to be used to get it up and running. It could be a real statement piece for Yass,” Ms McBain speculated.
The new federal member for Eden-Monaro stressed regional towns such as Yass are very appealing right now.
“What we’ve seen from COVID is people can work from anywhere, and people are now seriously thinking a regional lifestyle is so much better than what they can have in the cities.”
Ms McBain was keen for other opportunities to be realised in Yass.
“Hopefully the restoration of a couple of buildings, expanding on new industries coming to town, and the potential of startup businesses and co-working spaces is really where regional towns can come into their own.”
Ms McBain also said with the budget coming out in the next couple of weeks; she is optimistic communities such as Yass might see some new programs aimed at regional development.
“I am definitely hopeful that is a tack that the current government takes. It’s something I’ve spoken to the federal Labor Party and our Labor leader Anthony Albanese, in that the future of this country really is in the development of regional locations.”
Paul Brennan, the heritage cinema advisor on site for the past few months, said this final week of inspections and visits high-lighted the growing interest in seeing the Liberty Theatre functioning once more.
“The Liberty Theatre is a living museum of the Inter-war period. It’s a rare functioning example of a heritage building still in operation for its original intended purpose. It’s a perfect business example of an irreplaceable 20th Century Main Street entertainment venue that could and would not be built today,” Mr Brennan stated.
Along with the Federal member, the cinema was also visited last week by Megan Cleary, Deputy Director of the Department of Regional Development SE Quarter, NSW and Rhonda Lawrie, Business Development Manager for the same department. Yass Valley Council also sent its planning executive: Liz Makin, Strategic Planner, John Manweiller, Building Services and Julie Rogers, Yass Valley Council Director of Planning and Environment.
Film-maker Andrew Scarano is passionate about old cinemas and captured The Liberty Theatre’s ‘sleepy beauty charms’ – just waiting to be reawakened and delight cinema visitors once more.
