A raft of cultural and heritage sites across Victoria and Tasmania will undergo renovations in the coming months funded by the federal and state governments.

Federal minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, announced funding for one of Tasmania’s oldest buildings, Albert Hall, to the tune of $1 million yesterday, as part of the government’s $650m Jobs Fund.

“Built in 1891, Albert Hall is one of the most significant heritage buildings in Launceston,” Garrett said.

“Albert Hall’s significant heritage value is attributed to the Classical Victorian style of monumental public architecture.”

Federal member for Bass, Jodie Campbell MP welcomed the funding and investment that this will bring to the local community.

“Albert Hall is the largest indoor community gathering space for northern Tasmania, hosting up to 1200 people,” Campbell said.

The announcement comes a day after Victoria received $12.2m of federal funding for heritage conservation projects, including $2m for important conservation work at Melbourne’s World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.

The Royal Exhibition Building is one of Victoria’s major tourist attractions with 335,000 visitors over 2007 and 2008.

“These people visited to gain a greater understanding of the building’s importance not only as the site of the first Commonwealth Parliament, but as the only 19th Century grand exhibition building in the world to remain in use for its original purpose — the global sharing of goods, technologies, values and ideas," Garrett said.

"As with many much-loved heritage sites, visitor traffic is taking its toll. It is critical that we act to conserve the high impact areas of the building and ensure it continues to hold its universal values while contributing to the tourism economy."

Also on the list was the Athenaeum on Collins Street, built in 1886, which has received $877,000 in federal economic stimulus funding. The building’s 1930s lift constantly breaks down, the theatre seats were bought second-hand from Her Majesty's (Theatre) and the carpet, which carries hundreds of people each week, has not been replaced in almost 20 years.

Contractors have already started work on the building, with more tradesmen due follow to replace the seats and the lift's machinery, renovate toilets and drainage and build a new orchestra pit to attract more opera.