$700,000 grants boost to region

The Great Southern region has received more than $700,000 in State grants, which Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan says will help supercharge its tourism sector.

Ms MacTiernan announced the grants last Friday which were split into nine key projects across the region.

The projects include the Albany Strawberry Hill heritage site building upgrade and Albany town hall redevelopment project.

Ms MacTiernan said the Albany Town Hall redevelopment was expected to create up to 43 new jobs. The town hall would be equipped with smart technology such as a digital cultural archive for visitors.

“The town hall project will help unlock one of Albany’s most striking and iconic buildings while Strawberry Hill has an opportunity to become a major heritage tourism attraction for Albany,” she said.

“We are also supporting tourism growth in inland Great Southern towns, while further investing in the food tourism events that show off the fantastic fresh produce of the region.”

Albany MLA Peter Watson said the grants would also help dementia careers in town with $200,000 given to Alzheimer’s Australia to build a dementia specialist respite cottage.

“These grants will boost tourism to Albany, create local jobs and help our dementia carers to continue the valuable work they do for our community,” he said.