Volunteers keep Mt Barker Visitor Centre open while in limbo as Shire of Plantagenet decide it’s future

The Mt Barker Visitor Centre could look very different if it reopens, with its future under consideration by the Shire of Plantagenet. The Shire has a memorandum of understanding with the Amazing South Coast organisation for the running of the centre, which expires today. At the Shire’s June council meeting, three options for the centre’s future were brought to the council for consideration: the council could run the visitor centre, the centre could close or the Shire could negotiate a new arrangement with Amazing South Coast. “Under this MOU the (Amazing South Coast) ran the visitor centre, but they didn’t want to extend it so they could concentrate on core issues,” Shire chief executive Rob Stewart said. “This means there is no other body to run the visitor centre. “In the past, the visitor centre itself has been subject to a peppercorn lease by the council and it is likely that this arrangement could continue. “The council has always supported tourism in Plantagenet and has either granted the peppercorn lease of the premises or has made substantial donations to the previous Mt Barker Visitor Centre which was our local tourism peak body and operated the visitor centre.” A volunteer group has been working to keep the service running for the community and its visitors. Wendy Diletti has been at the forefront of a campaign to keep the doors open — not only in the long-term future, but while the decision on its future was being made. Ms Diletti said she attended the last council meeting to request the centre be temporarily opened for the school holidays. “Being a volunteer there, I knew how important it was for the visitor centre to open now with school holidays and people coming down from Perth like never before and we have got no place in Mt Barker to stop,” she said. “My agenda was to try and get the doors of the centre open while the other background work was carrying on and within 10 days the visitors centre has opened and the volunteers are back. “I am amazed, I think it is a good news story that we have got it open in 10 days with everyone hopping in and doing the best they could.” Ms Diletti said she hoped the discussion of the centre’s future proved to be an opportunity for the centre to bloom. The council has asked for a tourism industry forum to be held on July 28 to receive industry feedback before making a decision.