Miner’s Lamp Theatre Facing its Biggest Challenge
Arcadians Theatre Group President Steve Sanders explains the history of the company’s venue.
The Arcadians Theatre Group, based in Wollongong NSW, is entirely run by volunteers. In 1996, the group purchased the Corrimal Community Hall and Library from Wollongong City Council and began transforming it into the Miner’s Lamp Theatre. Second-hand raked seating was purchased, a new toilet block and set shed was added after DA approval, and lighting, sound and air conditioning added for patron future enjoyment.
Then in July 2022, after a complaint to Council, it was discovered that the site did not have approval to operate as a place of public entertainment. Our first step was to obtain legal advice to have the theatre declared a theatre after operating as one for the past 25 years.
As part of the legal argument, the National Construction Code (NCC) came into play requiring fire safety to be upgraded to most recent standards. Fortunately, approval was given to continue to operate while solutions were investigated. But at what cost?
Fortunately, previous Boards of the Group had foreseen a time when extra funds might be needed and began putting aside savings for such a circumstance.
After trying to find our way through the regulations by getting advice from experts, we quickly discovered we were out of our depth. We needed to co-ordinate the various disciplines that could contribute to a solution and eventually assembled a team of Architects, Fire Engineers, Structural Engineer and Building Certifiers. Once the right team had been commissioned, we quickly began to gain our own expertise in fire engineering requirements, if only learning new language and terminology to understand what was being proposed by our consultants.
And wouldn’t you know it; our little 148 seat theatre didn’t fit exactly the regulations. We didn’t have a proscenium; the building itself was built at a time when fire standards were not precise and there were no records of the original construction that would clarify what materials used were fire rated.
In May 2025, a DA was issued by Council that would allow the Miner’s Lamp Theatre to operate as a theatre but with stipulations on what needed to be done to meet NCC requirements.
Our chosen Consultants were very adept at getting all the information needed to develop plans and all the alterations required. A new term came into our vocabulary: “Deemed to Satisfy” – i.e. how the regulations could be satisfied without meeting them precisely. The NSW Fire Brigade had the authority under the regulations to approve alternative solutions to difficult issues. After numerous submissions to the authorities, solutions were finally found. As we near the end of 2025, we are poised to receive our Construction Certificate.
Then came the difficult decisions! Will we have sufficient funds to complete the work, when will we need to close the theatre for construction and for how long? As we all know, funding from Government bodies for capital works for essential theatre work is limited. And the amount required - $1.9 million! We are still seeking donations and any assistance would be gratefully received.
