Pause = Progress: Council Halts Auction for Tamborine Mountain Arts Precinct Proposal
Introduction
On November 1 2023, TMAP Co-Founders John Tardy, Ashley Tardy & Glen PIttock pitched their vision for the Tamborine Mountain Arts Precinct to the Scenic Rim Council. In attendance was Mayor Greg Christensen, Scenic Rim Acting CEO Oliver Pring, and supporting executives and Councillors.
The following is a brief overview of the meeting and outcome.
Opening Comments from John Tardy
This proposal is the culmination of the joint efforts and vision of John, Ashley and Brooke Tardy and Glen Pittock.
Our proposal is based on the purchase of the subdivided front portion of 122-128 Long Road (Gallery Walk) Tamborine Mountain from the Scenic Rim Council and to convert the existing buildings to house the Tamborine Mountain Arts Precinct.
We would all agree that such a facility is way overdue on The Mountain.
How did we get here and why are we pursuing this collective vision for the Mountain Community.
Back in February this year my 2 daughters lost their mother, my grandson lost his nanny and I lost my wife to breast cancer. Kate was an extraordinarily talented women in the arts and theatre on the Mountain, the Gold Coast and Sydney. She was Vice President of Spotlight Theatre on the Gold Coast for many years, contributing her many talents to youth theatre jointly with Ashley, writing, directing, and costuming many shows. She won many awards including the coveted Gold Palm Award for the most outstanding production in 2011. The current President of Spotlight Theatre refers to her as “Spotlight Royalty.”
In 2007 we moved to the Mountain. When the travelling got too much, she left Spotlight and joined the Zamia Theatre, becoming Vice President within months, and it would be fair to say she brought new life to the theatre. She was heavily involved in the Mountain cultural and artistic community including TMAC. She was a prolific painter and her paintings reside in many homes in Australia and around the world. She was much loved and admired by many, not only locally, but Australia wide and internationally.
As a family we want to leave a lasting legacy that Kate would be most proud to be associated with and that is our motivation and what drives us.
We have 100% support from TMAC for our proposal and substantial and growing support, not just from the local community, but more broadly from the countless people Kate touched in her life.
This is what gives us the confidence that we can raise the funds required to purchase the property including the funds to convert the buildings into an Arts Precinct.
Separately we intend to set up an online fund me page to raise sufficient funds to set up in perpetuity an annual Kate Tardy Arts Prize.
This journey started on the 16th of April 2023, when I wrote to the Mayor about the prospect of establishing a Community Arts Precinct on Council owned property on Gallery Walk, 122-128 Long Road.
After some delay I was referred to the Property Management department. On the 24th August 2023 we submitted an EOI to the Property Management department to purchase the property owned by the Council at 122-128 Long Road. The EOI was conditional on Council giving us at least 6 months to raise sufficient funds from the community to buy the property.
The department’s eventual response was to thank us for our interest, but confirm that Council has made the decision to sell the property before Christmas.
I then contacted my local Councillor Amanda Hay, who referred me to the Acting CEO Oliver Pring. I wrote to the Acting CEO requesting that we be given the opportunity to present our proposal and vision for a Community Arts Precinct on the Gallery Walk property to the next Council meeting.
We were granted this opportunity to present our case to the Council meeting on the 1st November 2023 and allocated 45 minutes. Which was exceptionally generous of the Council, to give us such a time slot.
This location is truly a “Once in a lifetime opportunity” to get a Community Arts Precinct in an Iconic location on Gallery Walk.
“Fancy having a Gallery on Gallery Walk.”
Surely it is not too much to ask that we should all jointly be working together to help realise this vision.
In the unlikely event that we are not successful, then the property can be put up for sale.
However, if the Council proceeds to sell the property, they will get the funds to build the carpark for Gallery Walk, only if the property sells, and that is not a given in the current market.
Alternately, if council give us their full support for our vision and we achieve our goal in raising sufficient funds to buy the property, Council get the funds to build the carpark, plus the significant bonus of a Community Arts Precinct on Gallery Walk.
And this is achieved at no cost to the Council.
You surely must agree, that this outcome would be a Win Win for Council and the Community. In addition, Council would also garner substantial brownie points from the local artists and Community.
The end result, if successful, would be another major tourist attraction on the Mountain in the perfect location.
Glen and Ashley will now take you through a visual version of our proposal and highlight why we collectively, together with the full support of TMAC and the local community, have the ability and capacity to pull this off.
Thank you.
Pitch Presentation
Glen Pittock & Ashley Tardy then proceeded to present to Council a visual presentation, covering;
Background on the founding team
Outline of the vision and components of the Precinct
Alignment with local and state government Arts, Creativity and Culture roadmaps
Their community-first approach in promoting local goods and services, thus stimulating the local economy and generating employment opportunities.
Closing Comments from John Tardy
This is genuinely a “Once in a lifetime opportunity” and it is in your hands to give this vision life.
We await your decision.
To finish up, we will be happy to take all your questions. Thank you.
Summary of Final Outcome
This proposal was subsequently put on the agenda for the next Council meeting, which was held on the 22nd November 2023, to be debated and then a vote would be taken.
The debate was held in private, but the vote was open to the public, which John Tardy attended. Councillors were asked to vote on postponing the auction of the Gallery Walk property from the 8th of December 2023 to a date to be confirmed in May 2024. The proposal was finally passed unanimously.
This decision means, that The Arts Precinct need to have sufficient funds in our Not For Profit (NFP) Company bank account to be in a position to bid at the May auction to buy the property. Fund raising will be ongoing, as we not only need to raise the funds to buy the property, but raise further funds to turn the property into an Arts Precinct - which can also be supported by local, state and federal grants.
Moving Forward.
With the council's decision to pause the auction, we're now entering a critical phase. The upcoming fundraising campaign, set to launch around late-January 2024, is essential for making our vision a reality. We're in the process of working with legal and accounting professionals to set up a Not-for-Profit (NFP) Company and to secure a DGR (Donation Gifts Recipient) Certificate from the ATO. This will ensure that all donations are fully tax-deductible. Your support and belief in this project are crucial as we work together to create a lasting cultural impact on Tamborine Mountain.