A $26,440.47 Regional Cultural Fund grant from the NSW government has been matched by the Inverell Shire Council for the project. 

New flooring, lighting, sound and audio visual equipment will be installed. There will be modular furniture, including seating and display panels and tables. A high speed internet connection will also be added. 

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said it was terrific to see the council match the grant. He said the funding will make the annex “just as good as the rest of the Town Hall”.

“It helps run small events when people can’t fill the Town Hall,” deputy mayor Anthony Michael said.

“They can just fill the annex, and it attracts more cultural stuff to the town, which will be great.”

He said the council had found many small groups weren’t expecting 200-300 people to fill the hall for their events, and were looking for a space that could cater to 30-40 people. 

“This is an opportunity to make this a bit more user-friendly and it’ll be fantastic for Inverell,” Cr Michael said. 

With the next round of the Regional Cultural Fund open for applications, Mr Marshall encouraged Northern Tablelands councils to take the opportunity. 

“There’s another $47 million on the table in round two of this fund,” he said.