Ratepayers could be forced to subsidise the operating cost of the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre by more than $1 million in each of its first four years, prompting deputy mayor Janet Mays to call for a major rethink of the controversial project.

A staff report received by council last Tuesday confirmed the projected combined operating subsidy of the new library and cultural centre would be just over $1 million each year until 2015.

“No one knows where that subsidy will go after the first four years of operation,” said Clr Mays.

“Even if we halve that number to $500,000 or thereabouts, it is simply too much money to plough into this project as an operating cost subsidy.”

Clr Mays called on council to consider incorporating conference centre facilities into the multi-million dollar project.

“At least with a conference centre, which is a desperately needed facility in the Mountains, council might even make some money and imagine the positive financial impact on the local economy. Beds and restaurants would be full mid-week for much of the year,” she said.

But her call failed to gain support from the majority of her council colleagues, most of whom defended the cultural centre.

Ward 4 Clr Mark Greenhill said he knew from personal experience that attacking the cultural centre was a “mistake”.

“I once took the position some councillors are now taking during a by-election some years ago,” he said.

“It was the wrong position. I was wrong then and I will not repeat the mistake. The metaphorical kick in the bum the community gave me at that time tells me this is something people want.”

Clr Greenhill failed to get elected in the 2006 Ward 3 by-election after describing the cultural centre as “an expensive program but far from essential”.

Ward 1 Clr Terri Hamilton said the cultural centre would bring much-needed new facilities to Katoomba like a much larger library, art gallery and new supermarket.

Ward 3 Clr Daniel Myles also defended the cultural centre’s projected operating costs, saying it was the nature of community facilities that council would be required to subsidise them.