The Q (Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre) opened in March 2008 and has gone on to host a variety of shows and other events. Photo: VisitNSW.
A Queanbeyan performing arts centre annually brings in about $5.8 million to the town.
The estimate was found in an analysis of dining and/or entertainment spending across nearly 100 show nights, carried out as part of a review organised by Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC).
QPRC requested a review after the 2023 special rate variation, examining operations and performances of The Q venues (such as The Q Theatre, Aunty Louise Brown Park, The Bicentennial Hall (The B) and its bar, as well as an exhibition space).
According to the review, its total revenue had risen by 24 per cent between 2022/23 and 2024/25, with it bringing in $3,315,496 across the three financial years.
Since the 2022/23 financial year, $5,880,461 has been spent on running the venues, with The Q’s operations most recently costing the council $661,025 in the last financial year.
(For comparison, the venues cost $831,264 in 2022/23 and $1,072,675 in 2023/24, with the latter spike being attributed to the hiring of more casual staff and equipment being replaced.)
The document also found that audience numbers increased between 2021/22 and 2024/25 (peaking at 39,737 in 2024/25), and 64 cents were received back for every dollar spent on The Q.
Mayor Kenrick Winchester said the document showed how the community appreciated the venues.
“The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre is a much-loved community facility, bringing people together through creativity and culture,” he told Region.
“As well as hosting national and international touring productions, we’re proud to support the development of local stories, offering opportunity to emerging artists in our region.
“In completing this review of The Q and its operations, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the economic impact that it has within our community. The Q is a key foundation of our night-time economy in the CBD, bringing additional spend to our hospitality and retail venues, and supporting more local jobs for our residents.”
The document was presented to councillors at a recent meeting for endorsement.
Councillor Mareeta Grundy tried to have QPRC instead ‘note’ the review, but failed to win support for an amendment.
She said endorsing the review risked locking the council into particular positions or proposals that were referenced in the document.
“I think it’s a shame because it illustrates, in many ways, how this council makes decisions and they fall into consequences later down the track that may not have been intended. … [If council endorses something, that] can carry policy, even financial consequences,” she said.
During the meeting, concerns were also raised about costs around hiring the venues for theatre shows, while the question of where overall operational costs could be reduced was raised.
A staff member said the hire costs were trending down, pointing to $755 as of the 2025/26 financial year (down from $825 in 2024/25).
“There are some costs that may have increased, and that is probably technical costs,” she told councillors.
“We now have a technical officer on-site … That is a reduced cost to anybody who’s hiring [The Q]. If you want a more detailed and more complex technical outcome for your show, then the technical costs are always going to be higher.”
The meeting also heard that the cost of cleaning the venues was increasing.
The review also flagged a range of actions to promote use of the venues for theatre shows, conferences and other events, as well as increasing community use of the venues.
It found hire activities had increased since The B was refurbished in 2017, and that hirer revenue grew 28 per cent from 2022/23 to 2023/24 before decreasing by 3.5 per cent in 2024/25.
The review attributed this dip to how theatre shows were scheduled, which ran on a calendar year (rather than the financial years used in analysis).
The review is set to be uploaded to the QPRC’s website.
