Harvey Community Radio keeps town talking at new home in former Harvey Art Gallery building on Becher Street

It’s your town talking, and it has got a new home.

While listeners might have not noticed it when they flick on their sets, Harvey Community Radio is now based at former Harvey Art Gallery on Becher Street.

It is a major upgrade from its former premises two blocks away on Young Street, where the station had been since it first hit the airwaves in 2004.

Chair David Marshall said the station was excited to be in its new home.

“The volunteer announcers, committee and everybody involved in the station has really embraced this new facility are definitely looking at it as the next part of our journey,” he said.

The relocation has been about 12 months in the making, when the station first approached the Harvey Art Society about sharing their premises.

While the art society has since folded, the station continued with the transition to their second home.

Committee member Nick Vitalone took on the role of project manager, leading the development of two studios which have been fitted out with new equipment.

Mr Marshall said the transition had in real terms been a 20-year process.

“We always knew the facility we were in was in essence temporary,” he said.

“I think it is a testament to volunteer persistence, just getting on with the job with what you’ve got until such time as you get what you actually want.”

The switch went largely without hiccups, with Collie Community Radio assisting with technical side of the transition.

Its relocation is expected to be temporary, with plans to have the station embedded with a new Harvey Library as part of the proposed Harvey Community Precinct.

Mr Marshall thanked the Shire of Harvey, the Community Broadcasting Foundation, the former Harvey Art Society and those who had helped make the station what it is today for their support.

“You’d never do anything alone and we as an organisation wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the help and assistance of the community and other organisations,” he said.