October 9th, 2025Funds sought at no cost to council for cinema

Hepburn Shire Council is being offered a chance to make a serious investment in arts and culture, with no cost to ratepayers or its budget.

Hepburn Shire Council is being offered a chance to make a serious investment in arts and culture, with no cost to ratepayers or its budget.
The Phoenix@The Rex Cinema Group says following the sale of The Rex, the council set aside $2.1 million, specifying that it is to be used for community facilities that would have been housed in The Rex Hub under council ownership.
The group says the council could now allocate the $50,000 requested by them from this reserve fund. This money would help in purchase of equipment without any impact on ratepayers or the budget.
The allocation sought from the council is for group-owned equipment, not for the Rex building. The state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment needed will cost $140,000, including installation and freight.
If the council allocated $50,000 to the cinema, a third of the cost of this equipment would be met. The rest would come from continued fundraising, sponsorship and possibly an interim leasing arrangement. Operating costs will be kept low by the group’s commitment to a volunteer-run, community, not-for-profit organisation.
Group vice president Professor Linda Hancock said fundraising had raised $70,000 in six months to get the cinema to the point where The Block was able to come in and create an exciting and attractive interior décor for the cinema and bar/café area. “But it’s like a pub with no beer – we have a beautiful cinema but cannot operate without equipment.
“We are grateful for the generous community support. In one evening, at the showing of The Block’s depiction of its work on the Rex, nine people bought nameplates for the backs of seats at $350 each for three years. Another 21 have been sold. What we seek at this final stage is council support so that it seizes the chance to forge a positive relationship with the group, grounded in a shared purpose and community pride.”
Professor Hancock said such a step needed an open vote by the council. “Our Group hopes that this will happen in the interest of transparency and helping restore community confidence. We trust that councillors will demonstrate a positive commitment to the cinema and agree to allocate the $50,000 requested.”