A bumper $36 million cultural landmark project for western New South Wales is facing a funding shortfall, forcing the build to stop.
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The Australian Opal Centre has hit an unexpected roadblock, with construction of the building approximately 80 per cent complete.
Raymond Griffin, chairperson of the Australian Opal Centre Limited (AOCL), explained the project in Lightning Ridge has faced financial challenges stemming largely from the ongoing influence of COVID-19 on the construction industry, combined with the inherent difficulties of building in a remote location.
"Like many projects across Australia in recent years, our project has been impacted by the long tail of COVID's affect on the construction sector," he said.
"Combining this with the difficulties of constructing in a remote location and our project has faced a range of cost increases as the build progressed. Our shortfall is in the vicinity of $3 million," Mr Griffin said.
This isn't the first time the project has been brought to a standstill when tenders for stage one of the project were called in 2021, then put on hold when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic made the project unaffordable.
The NSW Government provided funding to address project costs and allowed it to proceed.
Despite these challenges, AOCL has been diligent in managing its obligations.
Mr Griffin confirmed the decision to pause the construction was made in conjunction with builders.
"All payments due to the builder have been paid by the Australian Opal Centre Limited (ACOL). No money is owed by AOCL to the builder - we're fully up to date," he said.
"We're working with our builder on recommencing as soon as possible once we have secured the additional funding."
Originally, stage one of the centre was planned to open to the public in 2024. However, with the current pause, the timeline has shifted.
"If we are able to secure the additional funding by the end of this year, the latest expectation is for a mid-2026 completion and opening as soon as possible thereafter," he said.
The Australian Opal Centre's total projected cost is around $36 million. AOCL is actively seeking additional funding, including government grants and other sources, to bridge the $3 million gap.
"We are presently in discussion with a range of potential funding sources," he said.
When asked about the significance of the centre, Mr Griffin said it would bring both economic and social benefits to the region's economy.
"It will be a nationally significant structure that will deliver a compelling visitor experience that showcases an internationally significant collection of opalised fossils," he said.
The centre aims to tell captivating stories about the region's deep-time paleontological history, the unique opal deposits, and the communities founded on opal mining.
"We're very much looking forward to telling those stories and more in the Australian Opal Centre as soon as possible," he said.
Mr Griffin is also encouraging people who would like to help with the project to donate. Each donation is tax-deductible, and ways to help can be found here.
