Council is eyeing off SAM

CURRENT BOARDROOM DEEMED TOO SMALL FOR MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH TWO EXTRA COUNCILLORS

Early conversations about what will happen to the current Shepparton Art Museum space once the new facility on Victoria Park Lake is up and running have begun.

And the Mayor has indicated the prospect of Greater Shepparton City Council moving in is on the cards.

A statement from council this week detailed that ‘‘initial discussions (had been) held with council about the future use of the area but no firm decisions have been made’’.

Council has previously estimated that a two-year build of the new SAM, with a predicted starting time of 2018, would be completed about 2020.

Mayor Dinny Adem this week suggested the gallery site on Welsford St next door to council offices could provide a more suitable space for the council boardroom, the current one of which is ‘‘way too small’’.

‘‘With the extra two councillors we’re pretty well going to be wall to wall,’’ he said.

In September the Senior Citizens Centre played host to the monthly council meeting after concerns had been raised about the size and security of the Welsford St boardroom.

At the August council meeting councillors described the room as an unsuitable place to host a council meeting.

Cr Adem said the existing council chambers were pressed for space. ‘‘There’s more than enough room there,’’ he said of the gallery.

‘‘We’re already experiencing a lack of space in our current setup.’’

Cr Adem stressed there had been some formal discussion, but that it was only discussion at this stage about expanding the council’s meeting and office spaces.