Arts Minister Frank Sartor's dulcet tones drew a crowd at Wollongong Town Hall yesterday, but his audience was only interested in the colour of his money.
Mr Sartor promised to help restore the town hall to its former glory with a $2 million cash grant.
Wollongong City Council matched the commitment, raising its refurbishment budget from $1.6 million to $2 million.
Standing in front of the historic grand organ, Mr Sartor said it made financial sense to reopen the town hall and refurbish it.
The machinations behind the money started more than a year ago when the Australian Chamber Orchestra's artistic director Richard Tognetti warned Mr Sartor that if nothing was done, the wrecking ball would come in.
Mr Tognetti, who grew up in Wollongong, has led efforts to rescue and restore the town hall, which was earmarked for demolition before the council's sacking.
It's a sign of the weight given to his opinion that his comments appeared alongside Mr Sartor's in the government press release yesterday.
Read more (Illawarra Mercury)
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