31/10/2025
Launceston's Albert Hall has just had a faulty $20 million 'makeover' that has raised serious issues, for example, with its cafe and loading facilities.
The project was originally expected to cost $11.6 million in total, but that blew out to $20 million and still not ft for purpose. Tasmanian Ratepayers Association president and retired Architect Lionel Morrell, said the project had many serious flaws and called on the council to be transparent about how the money had been spent. Early in 2025 Launceston City Council put extra money to the redevelopment, so that it, the Albert Hall, would be "perfectly positioned" to host theatre events when the Princess Theatre and Earl Arts Centre closed for renovations next year.
Mr Morrell said the loading bay was not easily accessible and too small for staging large events and theatre shows.
Daniel Priest, who is involved in the Launceston theatre scene, shared those concerns.
"You have an exhibition building and nowhere for people to park their vehicles close to the building to safely be able to pack in and pack out," he said.
"[It] has been pushed as a theatre space and it's just not fit for purpose." He also pointed out that Bell Shakespeare Co had planned on bringing Macbeth to Launceston next year, but decided against it as Albert Hall did not meet its technical requirements.
He also has concerns over cafe and catering, with the cafe not yet open. Mr Morrell believed council was struggling to find an operator due to its design and that the kitchen had not be renewed or fitted out.
"Any intending operator would have to put significant, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of their own money in, to equip the kitchen," he said.
Mr Priest, who said he toured the redeveloped hall a few weeks ago, also said the kitchen only had one door, rather than double swinging doors, meaning hospitality staff would have to take food out and bring dirty plates through the same entrance.
The ABC also understands there was no permanent ticket booth, but temporary structures were brought in.
"It perplexes me that we're … not paying attention to these simple things," Mr Priest said. He believed many issues could have been avoided if the council had consulted more closely with hospitality and theatre groups when the building was designed.
(Acknowledgement to Emily Smith's ABC News Report, 31 Oct 2025)
