After initial safety concerns at the venue, the Wesley Performing Arts Centre committee gave the Horsham Rural City Council permission to undertake a fire safety assessment in November 2017. 

The assessment, completed by a council building surveyor, uncovered issues with the fire safety of the building. 

Committee member Simon Dandy said it was emotional to hear the performing arts centre would be closed indefinitely, but stressed that making the building safe to the public was the committee’s main priority. 

“It has to be safe and meet current fire standards. If it is going to be open to the public, it absolutely has to meet those standards – we have an obligation to do that,” he said. 

“We have had the audit now and we have a meeting with the council, and the committee, next week to look at the future.”

Mr Dandy said there were three initial steps in the process to re-open the performing arts centre.

“One, we have identified a lot of the issues,” he said

“Two, we have to work out what has to be fixed and how we are going to achieve that.

“Three, we have to work out if we can actually bring it back to standard and it puts us in a position which works financially.” 

Mr Dandy said the performing arts centre was a one-of-a-kind venue and he hoped it could be accessible in the future. 

“It has a lot of differences to the town hall and the theatre. We do want it open, there is no doubt about that – that’s our goal,” he said. 

Mr Dandy said there was no timeline around the process to re-open the venue. 

“People are asking about it and it is hard when we don’t have that date. I think that’s why the council is using the term indefinitely. That could sometimes makes people think it will never be open,” he said. 

“We are trying to get (the performing arts centre) to a state where it can be open. 

“It is just taking a bit of work and money.”