CORALIE Wood and her team of “cats” are over the moon about news that NSW Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro, John Barilaro, has recommitted the NSW Government to the long term support of the CAT Awards.

“The NSW Government has been a long term supporter of the Awards and this support will continue for at least the next four years,” he says.

Mr Barilaro specifically announced the Government would grant the Canberra Area Theatre Awards $100,000 over four years—$25,000 per year.

The announcement was made as the CAT Awards officially took possession of the new vehicle supplied by Suzuki Australia and National Capital Motors, although visitors to the annual awards in Dubbo, back in February, caught a glimpse of it at the gala night.

The “Catmobile” has been provided to help support the journey of award judges travelling to the many regional centres where CATs is held each year. It replaces an earlier more colourful one that has now been put out to pasture.

Naturally enough, Ms Wood, the founder and CEO of the CATs, responded by saying: “John Barilaro has been a wonderful supporter of the awards.”

Ms Wood says from his days as a business person in Queanbeyan to his Deputy Premiership, he had recognised what the CATS were trying to achieve.

Mr Barilaro went on to praise the fact that the 2017 Awards Gala had been held in Dubbo, saying: “To take the Awards to a thriving regional centre like Dubbo is a terrific recognition of the importance of Regional NSW to the arts and it allowed Dubbo to showcase its beautiful new theatre to over 400 guests from across the state and the ACT.”