Investigation of options for former Harvey Visitors Centre building to continue after new facts come to light

The future of the former Harvey Visitors Centre building remains unresolved after the council decided to reinvestigate its options.

Shire of Harvey councillors voted at their meeting on October 25 to re-examine options for the James Stirling Place site after they noted a change in circumstances which could enable a potential leasing.

In a report to councillors prior to the meeting, they were told a joint venture between the Harvey Aboriginal Corporation and Bilya Mooritjabiny Training Services, and the Harvey Region Artist Co-op had expressed interest in leasing the building earlier this year.

However, both applicants were knocked back as being not suitable for leasing the premises.

When asked by Cr Tania Jackson why the applicants had been unsuccessful, sustainable development director Simon Hall said the Co-op had been deemed not suitable partly because they were not incorporated when they first applied.

However, council staff were also concerned about their funding model, including their ability to fund the fit-out and operation of the site.

“Their governance model was something we hadn’t really seen or tested as well so that was of concern to us,” Mr Hall said.

He said the HAC-BMTS joint venture had been unsuccessful in part because they were looking for a bigger space, as well as a longer-term lease than the council desired.

The site has been vacant since the Harvey Visitors Centre closed at the end of November 2021 after a review of the Shire’s tourism strategy recommended its closure, as well as that of the Australind Visitors Centre.

The council originally sought to request chief executive Annie Riordan begin investigating alternative uses for the building.

Cr Robyn Coleman then moved the council’s draft decision be changed to have Ms Riordan re-examine the situation in light of the Harvey Region Artist Co-op now being an incorporated entity.

Cr Wendy Dickinson said the Shire should take into account the information they had been presented with at the meeting.

“There has been further discussions or facts according to staff that have come since the report has been issued for us to read, so I think that it is not fair for us to make a (final) decision at this stage,” she said.

The amended draft decision was carried unanimously.