A loan of $11.2 million will be required to fund the Sutherland Entertainment Centre refurbishment as a result of the cost rising from an estimated $22 million at the outset to more than $34 million.
The revelation led to an eleventh hour bid at Monday night's council meeting to dump the proposed refurbishment option and, instead, seek a public private partnership (PPP) to build a new centre over the adjoining council-owned public car park.
Liberal councillor Kent Johns moved the amendment, warning the council was "making a huge mistake", but he was supported only by Labor councillor Barry Collier, who has argued consistently for a knockdown-rebuild.
Other councillors, including mayor Carmelo Pesce, said the council would look "like idiots" or "stupid" if it aborted the well advanced refurbishment project, which the community supported.
The council voted to proceed with the major refurbishment and add optional features that were proposed at a meeting in July, taking the cost from $29.6 million to $34.1 million.
The improvements include a full flytower, Peace Park interface works, an enclosed terrace and second passenger lift.
The council will seek state government approval to borrow $11,262,808, to be repaid over 10 years from the annual contributions from Suez, the operator of the Lucas Heights waste centre.
Cr Johns warned the council could end up like Port Macquarie Council, which was dismissed by the state government in 2008 after a huge blowout in the cost of a new entertainment centre.
He proposed calling for expressions of interest for a PPP to develop over the car park and provide a masterplan for the whole civic precinct.
Retention of public car parking would be a condition of any plan.
Cr Johns said the result would be "a brand new entertainment centre" at a cost to council of no more than $25 million.
He said the private partner would be given a one-year time frame for design and approvals, which would see the project completed earlier than the present proposal.
Cr Michael Forshaw told Cr Johns, "You have got rocks in your head if you think that can be done in a year".
Several councillors said they initially preferred the idea of building a new entertainment centre and exploring redevelopment options for the civic precinct but, once the refurbishment decision was made, they believed they should get behind it and work as a team.
Cr Pesce said, "Let's not go backwards on this - we would look like idiots. Interest rates are at three per cent, but if we procrastinate we could pay 18 per cent".
Cr Pesce said it would take 18 months just to rezone the car park site
Cr Johns's move led to a testy exchange with Cr Carol Provan.
"We, as fellow Liberals, did not know you were going to do this," she said.
Cr Johns replied, "I told you on Sunday night"".
Cr Provan shot back, "You only said you were going to do something - I think we would look stupid to the residents."
Deputy mayor Steve Simpson said the councillors who made the decision to build the entertainment centre were "brave" in taking on debt to provide the facility.
Cr Barry Collier said refurbishing the entertainment centre was "throwing good money after bad".
He said new administration offices were needed as part of a new civic centre.
"Half the offices look like dungeons or are empty," he said.
