WENTWORTH Shire Council believes the multi-million dollar revamp of the Wentworth Civic Centre will be the jewel in its crown and ensure the town will be “a place to be known and a place to be seen”.
Concept plans for the $6 million to $7 million redevelopment are out for public comment and the council is expected to call for tender submissions later this year.
The project, which includes a visitor information centre, library, interpretive centre, function area and the council’s administration offices under the one roof, is expected to open about January 2023.
The council has already secured about $3.6 million in external funding towards the project with several other submissions awaiting consideration.
Shire general manager Ken Ross said the centre, once finished, would be “something pretty special” to both the Wentworth township and its residents.
Mr Ross said also believed the centre would have the ability to encourage more visitors to the region for longer stays.
He said the development was part of a community strategic plan that would secure the future of Wentworth and maintain the shire council’s presence in the town.
“It’s just given us a wonderful opportunity to have a community hub that will give us a place to be known and a place to be seen and recognise it’s not the poor cousin of Mildura — it’s something pretty special to all of us,” Mr Ross said.
“In the Western Division group of councils, it’s not a competitive world, but I’d really like to be known as the shire that has got forward thinking and being on the front foot and doing things about infrastructure as well as tourism and promotion.”
Mr Ross said the building would be “the centre hub and the community hub of everyone in Wentworth”.
“They will know where we will be, we’ll be open all hours, we’ll be open for business, we just want to try to deliver a really good customer service and functionality,” he said.
The two-storey building will include strong interpretive heritage themes including the Port of Wentworth, paddleboat history, riverboat captain history, the indigenous connection and floodplain levee bank system.
The council’s administration staff will also use space on the ground floor, while the first floor will house the council and mayor’s chambers, a public meeting room and function area overlooking the Darling River.
“The council, through the strategic planning phase, through the community involvement, through the community engagement, is committed to this project,” Mr Ross said.
“It’s a must-have for Wentworth — it secures us as an organisation and we’ve grown and expanded in our own workforce.
“It’s about the health and wellbeing of staff — they are going to perform better and we want to be part of the community, we want to be part of Wentworth.”
But Mr Ross said it would also serve as a place to “entrap” the many passing tourists who might otherwise continue on their way.
“We get a lot of passing travellers through here so ideally we’d entrap them, to a certain degree,” he said.
“The grey nomads pull into the carpark, wander up and take in all the history and heritage and themes and all of a sudden there’s three hours gone.
“They might then call over to the Crown Hotel and have a beer or lunch and then they might decide to stay the night.
“It’s a theory of tourism and promotion around that Wentworth is a good place and a good space.
“We’re in the junction of the two biggest rivers and we’ve got a world heritage area adjoining Balranald Shire Council with the Willandra Lakes and Mungo National Park — it’s worth the drive, it’s worth the place to be … it really is.”
Mr Ross said the design and interpretation of the centre had been developed “to address all people and all ages”.
“We’re pretty happy with where we’re at, at this point in time,” he said.
“It delivers an outcome of a disused club building and turns it into a fairly significant, iconic, welcome to Wentworth — an attraction to the local region.
“It’s a reality that we’re on the cusp of bringing to reality.”
Artist impressions of the centre were on display at the recent Murray Darling Association conference in Wentworth and will remain on public exhibition at the Midway Market Place at Buronga until next weekend.
