The dilapidated Palais Theatre in Melbourne’s St Kilda will get a $26.7m restoration if Labor wins the upcoming Victoria election, the party has promised.
The move follows a concerted campaign by high-profile musicians, with Mick Jagger calling for the venue to be saved during the Rolling Stones’ recent Australian tour. Musician Tex Perkins is due to run for the seat of Albert Park on the single issue of saving the Palais.
Labor said it would join with the local council, the city of Port Phillip, and the Palais’s operators to restore the venue if elected. A total of $13.4m in state government money would be put forward for the project, with the council and operator providing the rest.
The crumbling Palais, which opened 87 years ago, is an art deco landmark in the bayside suburb. Despite attracting some of the biggest names in music, the venue has fallen into disrepair, with the council recently warning it required urgent funding to save it.
Under Labor’s plan, the Palais would be restored over five years, so that concerts could still be held there in the meantime. The Palais draws around $34m in annual income and supports about 200 jobs.
With the Victorian state election looming on 29 November, Labor will hope the promise will help it retain the seat of Albert Park, which encompasses the Palais. Incumbent MP Martin Foley holds the electorate with just a 0.9% margin.
Daniel Andrews, the Labor leader, said: “I saw Midnight Oil at the Palais in ’92. The place went off. I’ll never forget it.
“The Palais is the heart and soul of live music in this city. It’s stood for 87 years and we refuse to sit back, like the Liberals, and watch it fall apart.
“This won’t be a patch-up job. It’s a once-in-a-generation restoration to give the building a new life. We’ll save the Palais.”
Tex Perkins said he was pleased by the announcement and that he will be directing his preferences to Labor.
