The Crossing Theatre reopens as flood evacuation centre

Narrabri Shire Council has announced that The Crossing Theatre has reopened to serve as the shire’s designated emergency evacuation centre as the region prepares for significant flood impacts.

In recent months, The Crossing Theatre has been temporarily closed while council carried out major upgrades to the facility’s fire safety systems.

In an update, council said these works were completed last week, and the new system has now been formally certified. While the facility was scheduled to reopen for normal operations on Monday, August 11, the unfolding emergency situation has prompted an early opening to provide a safe, secure location for community members needing shelter and support.

Mayor Darrell Tiemens said council was acting swiftly to prioritise community safety.

“Our first responsibility is always to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community,” Cr Tiemens said in council’s update.

“We understand that this has been a challenging time for many residents, and we want to reassure everyone that The Crossing Theatre is fully compliant with all safety requirements and ready to be used as a safe place for people needing to evacuate during this weather event.”

Shire general manager Eloise Chaplain praised the efforts of council staff and emergency personnel in preparing the facility for urgent use.

“While the delays to the reopening of The Crossing Theatre have been frustrating for the community, the most important thing is that the building is now safe and available at a time when it is most needed,” Ms Chaplain said.

“We are working closely with emergency services to ensure the site is appropriately resourced and supported.”

Council advises that while the building will serve exclusively as an emergency evacuation centre this week, full operations — including The Crossing Theatre Café and cinema — will commence as planned from Monday, August 11.

Further updates will be provided via council’s website and official Facebook page. Community members affected by the flooding are urged to monitor local SES Facebook pages for warnings and follow directions from emergency services.