13 July 2016

Hoyts preferred operator for Gungahlin cinema, with construction due to start early 2017

| Charlotte
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Gungahlin cinema concept

The developer planning to build Gungahlin’s first cinema, Krnc Group, has told a meeting of the Gungahlin Community Council that Hoyts is now the preferred operator for the facility, to be built on the corner of Hibberson Street and Hinder Street from early 2017 if a development application in mid-2016 is successful.

Hoyts currently operates the Woden and Belconnen cinemas.

The Gungahlin cinema plan was first announced in 2013, when Andrew Barr said it would have capacity for more than 2,000 patrons, with two cinemas each seating around 500 and the remaining five with approximately 200 seats each. At that time, Greater Union was in discussions with Krnc Group about the site, which was also to include 4,300 square metres for a major retailer, 1450 square metres for other retail businesses, 1500 square metres of commercial space and three residential floors of approximately 86 one and two bedroom apartments.

The plan at that time was also to provide parking for more than 900 cars of which more than 600 spaces were to be be underground.

“I am particularly pleased that the Krnc family have been the successful tenderer in this process as they have a long history of running very successful businesses in Canberra and their willingness to be involved in this major new phase in the development of the Gungahlin town centre clearly demonstrates the confidence they have in our city,” Mr Barr said at the time.

RiotACT contacted Krnc Group just after noon today to find out whether details of the development remained as per the 2013 plan but no one was available to discuss the matter.

Gungahlin cinema concept

Meegan Fitzharris, the only Gungahlin resident currently in the ACT Legislative Assembly, issued a statement this morning in relation to the cinema development, saying the announcement of Hoyts as the preferred tenderer was welcome news for residents eager to see more entertainment options in the town centre.

“I was proud to lead calls for a cinema to be built in Gungahlin in 2012, and to see real progress being made is great news for our community, which is growing fast,” she said.

“The location will be right on the light rail line, offering great access and an opportunity to make Canberra’s northern town centre an even better place to shop and be entertained.”

The Labor MLA said she encouraged anyone interested in the cinema and the future of Gungahlin town centre to look at what was being proposed and have their say during the planning process.

Ms Fitzharris also said there will be a movie marathon held at Gungahlin College from June 17-19, with details of the line-up to be announced in May.

More information about the Gungahlin Movie Marathon is available at www.lda.act.gov.au/gungahlin/movies.

Photos: Design concepts published with the original announcement of the planned cinema in 2013. Note that the development plan may have changed since they were issued.

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Where have we heard all that before? Oh right, that would have been around 2012 with building to start in early 2013. Yep. Three years later, nothing has happened.

Mordd said :

Dear rubaiyat

if you have not already been, sounds as though you would definitely enjoy a visit to the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, Sydney.

The theatre has been refurbushed in the old style –

http://www.orpheum.com.au/

suggest you google ‘Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace’ – and click on ‘images’

here’s a review I did of a movie – where I commented on the theatre experience as well

as for the architecture of the proposed Gungahlin cinema – there’s nothing more to be said – the image says it all.

Just crossed my screen:

http://www.groupon.com.au/deals/sydney/hayden-orpheum-picture-palace-cremorne-5/87161410?p=10&nlp=&CID=AU_CRM_1_0_0_111&utm_source=channel_occasions&utm_medium=email&sid=38dbd208-649f-48a0-9163-15db49310d5e&division=wollongong&eh=845b54c20ae2d9b873442e30011cdbffcb52eba15f11da8d525bd2e732f69876&date=20162004&sender=rm&s=body&c=link&d=deal-page

HenryBG said :

blandone said :

dungfungus said :

“Everything in Canberra unfortunately gets parcelled out as monopolies in the uninspiring regional centres where one developer either owns everything, or practically everything, to milk the local populace for all they’re worth.”

Lordy me! How I wish the movie theatres were the only part of society effected by this. It seems to be across the board now.

I was speaking across the board.

It suits public servants and politicians to deal with large monopolies, who bully or buy out smaller competitors. Doesn’t stop the politicians claiming they are for small business, but you would have to be an arch fool to believe them.

Consumers are sucked in by honeymoon deals, designed to kill alternatives. The consumer then gets to pay off those deals for the rest of their lives.

I have to agree with you there.
One side of politics loves big business, big unions and big government; no prizes for guessing which party.
All politicians have no time for small businesses – they don’t understand the ethos that goes with risking the family home and working long hours for sometimes little reward.
Besides that, only big businesses have the corporate boxes at the government sponsored sporting events.

Oh, please! The Liberals have handed out the Australian media to Rupert Murdoch and are responsible for most of the narrow duopolies and many smaller monopolies in this country, as well as the Free Trade Agreements that aren’t, and have handed Australian business and businesses out on a silver platter to foreigners.

The Liberals under Howard particularly made Government contracts so onerous and expensive that virtually only large American corporations with their own legal and marketing departments could get them. I contracted to a Fyshwick firm that had a long term contract for publishing Australian Government forms, using an oddball production technique. The Howard Government decreed that all contracts be wrapped up in reams of requirements which ruled out any small operator being able to afford the requirements, so my client lost the contract and it went to a US corporation who promptly farmed it back to my client because they didn’t know how to do it.

That was why Microsoft cleaned up a virtual monopoly on Government computing as well. Many departments with sophisticated systems supported by rather smart local operators, got dumbed down to fit Microsofts limitations. The technoilliterate Conservatives used to fawn all over Bill Gates as the fount of all knowledge when he came to Australia. Probably at the point of their long slow decline.

The Liberals in their dull, unimaginative fashion have had no confidence in Australia having any ideas and have instead opted for a consistent selling off of the farm for whatever temporary advantage they can get.

blandone said :

dungfungus said :

“Everything in Canberra unfortunately gets parcelled out as monopolies in the uninspiring regional centres where one developer either owns everything, or practically everything, to milk the local populace for all they’re worth.”

Lordy me! How I wish the movie theatres were the only part of society effected by this. It seems to be across the board now.

I was speaking across the board.

It suits public servants and politicians to deal with large monopolies, who bully or buy out smaller competitors. Doesn’t stop the politicians claiming they are for small business, but you would have to be an arch fool to believe them.

Consumers are sucked in by honeymoon deals, designed to kill alternatives. The consumer then gets to pay off those deals for the rest of their lives.

I have to agree with you there.
One side of politics loves big business, big unions and big government; no prizes for guessing which party.
All politicians have no time for small businesses – they don’t understand the ethos that goes with risking the family home and working long hours for sometimes little reward.
Besides that, only big businesses have the corporate boxes at the government sponsored sporting events.

dungfungus said :

“Everything in Canberra unfortunately gets parcelled out as monopolies in the uninspiring regional centres where one developer either owns everything, or practically everything, to milk the local populace for all they’re worth.”

Lordy me! How I wish the movie theatres were the only part of society effected by this. It seems to be across the board now.

I was speaking across the board.

It suits public servants and politicians to deal with large monopolies, who bully or buy out smaller competitors. Doesn’t stop the politicians claiming they are for small business, but you would have to be an arch fool to believe them.

Consumers are sucked in by honeymoon deals, designed to kill alternatives. The consumer then gets to pay off those deals for the rest of their lives.

wildturkeycanoe said :

Hoyts Woden now offer wine and beer. Can’t comment on Belconnen as I haven’t been there for years.

Next you know, there will be a Centrelink booth in each cinema so you can claim your dole money on the way out……

“Everything in Canberra unfortunately gets parcelled out as monopolies in the uninspiring regional centres where one developer either owns everything, or practically everything, to milk the local populace for all they’re worth.”

Lordy me! How I wish the movie theatres were the only part of society effected by this. It seems to be across the board now.

Mordd said :

Dear rubaiyat

if you have not already been, sounds as though you would definitely enjoy a visit to the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, Sydney.

The theatre has been refurbushed in the old style –

http://www.orpheum.com.au/

suggest you google ‘Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace’ – and click on ‘images’

here’s a review I did of a movie – where I commented on the theatre experience as well

as for the architecture of the proposed Gungahlin cinema – there’s nothing more to be said – the image says it all.

Sorry I misnamed it. Can never remember if it is in Cremorne or Mosman just know where it is when I want to get to it.

Heartily agree. It harkens back to when going to the movies used to be a pleasure, not an opportunity to be fleeced with cheap junk food and overpriced tickets for a show that “has loads of effects” but no plot or intelligence.

Classic example of how people who are always telling you they “can’t afford better” blow ludicrous money on junk. Guess that is why they can’t afford anything else.

No_Nose said :

The only reason now to leave Gunghalin is the Goodberrys in Belco !

Goodberrys please start up in Gunghalin some time soon !

That would be the dream! I think it would have worked perfectly in the Bunnings building right across from the college. If only.

rubaiyat said :

dungfungus said :

I don’t frequent the cinema often but always go to Manuka – $10 tickets, super cheap popcorn and there’s hardly ever anyone else there. I might just be lucky and go at quiet times but I often wonder how that place stays profitable.

Yep – best value around.

The only time I go is when I win free tickets for an arthouse flick and that’s always in The Theatre That Time Forgot, with the broken seats and suspicious stains. 😀

rubaiyat said :

Hoyts seems to want to attract only bogans and young people with few films that require any intellectual input by the viewer and the only access to their programming is via the web. Dumbed-down films and action movies seem to be the main fare offered. No wine, no coffee either 🙁

Hoyts Woden now offer wine and beer. Can’t comment on Belconnen as I haven’t been there for years.

dungfungus said :

I don’t frequent the cinema often but always go to Manuka – $10 tickets, super cheap popcorn and there’s hardly ever anyone else there. I might just be lucky and go at quiet times but I often wonder how that place stays profitable.

Yep – best value around.

Paul Costigan10:41 am 19 Apr 16

ooops!

forgot the link to the review

http://the-southern-cross.com/mr-turner-2/

Paul Costigan10:40 am 19 Apr 16

Dear rubaiyat

if you have not already been, sounds as though you would definitely enjoy a visit to the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, Sydney.

The theatre has been refurbushed in the old style –

http://www.orpheum.com.au/

suggest you google ‘Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace’ – and click on ‘images’

here’s a review I did of a movie – where I commented on the theatre experience as well

as for the architecture of the proposed Gungahlin cinema – there’s nothing more to be said – the image says it all.

dungfungus said :

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

Not a shill, but if you’re an Optus customer you can get $11 movie vouchers for most cinemas – even some of the independent ones which is great coz I can rock up to my local cinema here in Melbourne and spend the rest of money on a cider to take in, or on a cocktail next door, but I digress.

And not having to drive, actually enjoy them. 😀

The only reason now to leave Gunghalin is the Goodberrys in Belco !

Goodberrys please start up in Gunghalin some time soon !

Alexandra Craig8:15 am 19 Apr 16

I don’t frequent the cinema often but always go to Manuka – $10 tickets, super cheap popcorn and there’s hardly ever anyone else there. I might just be lucky and go at quiet times but I often wonder how that place stays profitable.

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

Not a shill, but if you’re an Optus customer you can get $11 movie vouchers for most cinemas – even some of the independent ones which is great coz I can rock up to my local cinema here in Melbourne and spend the rest of money on a cider to take in, or on a cocktail next door, but I digress.

rubaiyat said :

Hoyts seems to want to attract only bogans and young people with few films that require any intellectual input by the viewer and the only access to their programming is via the web. Dumbed-down films and action movies seem to be the main fare offered. No wine, no coffee either 🙁

I miss the Leichhardt Twin. Double feature plus coffee and cake. 😛

Hurstville had an organ that spiralled up out of the stage corner and a hugely fat cat that used to walk along the tops of the seats and brush against your neck in the middle of horror flicks! Valhalla in Glebe was great for dressing up for the Rocky Horror Show. They still do it in The Castro in San Francisco, where they compete for the best dirndls for The Sound of Music.

In Canberra I miss the old Electric Shadows, and that cinema that used to be down the bottom next to the Woden Bus Terminus.

Last cinema with character is the Cremorne Orpheum.

Now they all have to show the plotless CGI infested gumpf that the average cinema goer zones out on whilst pigging into the overpriced popcorn and coke,. With lots of down time in the non-peak periods they could at least show the odd quality or foreign movie. They probably get them for peanuts.

Everything in Canberra unfortunately gets parcelled out as monopolies in the uninspiring regional centres where one developer either owns everything, or practically everything, to milk the local populace for all they worth.

I pay a buck a movie, maybe less.

Just don’t know my way around Canberra, nor know a bargain combo when I see one.

Hoyts seems to want to attract only bogans and young people with few films that require any intellectual input by the viewer and the only access to their programming is via the web. Dumbed-down films and action movies seem to be the main fare offered. No wine, no coffee either 🙁

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

Hoyts Woden is $13 on a Tuesday – cheaper than the petrol used to drive to and from Goulburn. Limelight Tuggeranong is also still quite cheap (and you can stock up on snacks in the food court or at Coles/Kmart).

Mordd said :

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie . . .

You need to join Hoyts Rewards – $10 per movie and the ten movie free. You should make a submission to the Checkout’s FU Tube about the movie lazy tax. You never thought about enquiring into the details of the Hoyts Rewards program anytime in the last six years when being sold a ticket? It is not their fault. They would have asked you if you wanted to join each time you bought a ticket.

Well, Ive been to Hoyts Belco twice in past 4 months. I even remarked to them that it was too expensive. So, Im not going back. They never suggested a Hoyts rewards thing either time either.

Mordd said :

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie . . .

You need to join Hoyts Rewards – $10 per movie and the ten movie free. You should make a submission to the Checkout’s FU Tube about the movie lazy tax. You never thought about enquiring into the details of the Hoyts Rewards program anytime in the last six years when being sold a ticket? It is not their fault. They would have asked you if you wanted to join each time you bought a ticket.

But if you want 10 cents of popcorn and a drink it’ll cost you as much as 2 movies.

Why build light rail if were just going to duplicate civic in Gungahlin? Also now we have Netflix and 6 major cinemas can we really use another? Dendy is also expanding as we speak.

The reason Tuggeranong has Hoyts rumour goes is that the centre management kicked them out for not keeping the cinema upto a high enough quality. Limelight goes in and turned the place around.

When Nbn comes in either FTTN or FTTP, of which everyone in the feeder area for this new cinema will have 1gbps capable connection soon, this cinema is going to go the same direction as the tram.

Charlotte Harper said :

“The location will be right on the light rail line, offering great access and an opportunity to make Canberra’s northern town centre an even better place to shop and be entertained.”

Nobody told Labor’s Meegan Fitzharris movie ticket sales are at their lowest records in 20 years the last 2 years in a row. More Australians went to the movies in 1979 when Australia’s population had 15 million people.

“The location will be right on the light rail line, offering great access….”
Does this mean the tram line will be sharing the centre aisle because that is the way it is expressed.
Yes, access will definitely be great.

Mordd said :

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie . . .

You need to join Hoyts Rewards – $10 per movie and the ten movie free. You should make a submission to the Checkout’s FU Tube about the movie lazy tax. You never thought about enquiring into the details of the Hoyts Rewards program anytime in the last six years when being sold a ticket? It is not their fault. They would have asked you if you wanted to join each time you bought a ticket.

FU?

I found this posted on the Canberra Times article on this subject:

“Seriously?! Hoyts?! Why would we want to give the worst cinema chain in Canberra *another* cinema? Box office prices increased massively after they arrived in the ACT, and the quality of the movie going experience dropped. They were so keen to avoid paying staff, they closed the actual box offices and forced patrons to be tickets from the candy bar – causing huge lines and long waits when there shouldn’t be. Their solution? Put up a sign telling patrons to arrive ealier if they don’t want to miss the start of the movie. All so they could save a couple bucks on paying someone to staff the box office.

I shouldn’t be surprised, though. The ACT government are in property development for the money and Hoyts has plenty of it. They don’t care one bit about what’s best for the community and for competition.

I couldn’t have put it better myself. Hoyts has done nothing positive for the moving going experience in the ACT.

“The location will be right on the light rail line, offering great access and an opportunity to make Canberra’s northern town centre an even better place to shop and be entertained.”

Nobody told Labor’s Meegan Fitzharris movie ticket sales are at their lowest records in 20 years the last 2 years in a row. More Australians went to the movies in 1979 when Australia’s population had 15 million people.

Another ugly box for Canberra.
Why can’t we get architects here who design beautiful, exciting, functional buildings that enhance our National Capital?
Look almost anywhere else in the world to see interesting building going on ; London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Spain, India, Vietnam even !
Maybe it’s to do with having an Assembly who’s members are still unable to think past the 19th century.
Ho Hum!

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie . . .

You need to join Hoyts Rewards – $10 per movie and the ten movie free. You should make a submission to the Checkout’s FU Tube about the movie lazy tax. You never thought about enquiring into the details of the Hoyts Rewards program anytime in the last six years when being sold a ticket? It is not their fault. They would have asked you if you wanted to join each time you bought a ticket.

In a dunger tone, fascinating how the 3D render doesn’t show all the ugly surrounding carpark as it really is:

Baking hot, or wind swept, strewn with cars, dying vegetation, broken concrete and bitumen, broken car parts from the eternal dingles. ….and massively overweight drivers carelessly throwing all the rubbish from their “Combos” on the ground out of their “nice” cars.

The plan is different now. The building is now called “The Factory” and the new design looks industrial. Don’t panic it doesn’t look ugly! It looks quite nice actually. The building nolonger contains residential which I think is a good thing. It contains cinema, restaurants, shops (no major department stores), commercial office space and small shops within commercial office space section. The developer did a presentation at the Gungalhin Community Council meeting this week.

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

What is a “medium combo” please? : )

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

Zambreros is next door to both Woden and Belconnen cinemas too.

Woden & Belconnen have recently revamped their cinemas so they are all recliners. Hardly a normal cinema seat!

I agree though that the candy bar prices are a major rip off, but it’s always been that way.

According to info from the gungahlin council meeting the plan might have changed with no residential anymore.

Personally can’t see much need for a cinema in Gungahlin. Hoyts in Belconnen is close enough if you’re really keen on going out to see a movie.

This just means losing carpark space for when I want to go to Coles.

Mello said :

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

Yeah. +100. Recently went to Hoytes Belco to watch a 3D film. Cost $47 for 2 – tickets only. Their Belco cinema has the new larger more comfy seats. If you book online, stangle it would have cost about $5 more too !!

Compare that to LimeLight at Tuggeranong (still with the traditional seating) @ about $13 pp per movie. Another reason never to leave Tuggeranong !!!!

So, before the good people of Gunners rejoice at the announcement of this new Cinema, think about the cost of taking the family there ! Netflix is looking better and better………

rubaiyat said :

After Bunnings and Kmart , Hoyts was the only one left to be opened in gughalin.

Can’t wait for Hoyts to open !

Can’t remember the last time I went to a regular cinema, so last century! 😀

Hoyts at Woden wanted to charge me $19 for a movie ticket and another $19 for a medium combo. It wasn’t even in gold class!

I’m not paying $38 to see a movie in a normal cinema seat!

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Woden or Gunners. Soon Gunners will get slugged the same, presumably.

At least Manuka isn’t far away, still charges $10 for admission, has much cheaper snacks, and has Zambrero next door too. Goulburn is even cheaper still. If you’re buying tickets for the whole family, it’s definitely worth a drive if you can’t wait for it to show up on Netflix or DVD.

After Bunnings and Kmart , Hoyts was the only one left to be opened in gughalin.

Can’t wait for Hoyts to open !

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