City outlines final offer to society

Details of the City of Albany's final proposal to the Albany Agricultural Society have emerged, with the council set to decide whether it will endorse a last-ditch attempt to resolve the dispute about the society's future within the multi-million-dollar Centennial Park Sporting Precinct.

The two parties have been in negotiations for more than 16 months and last week Mayor Dennis Wellington said the City feared it would lose $8.7 million in Federal Government funding if construction did not begin by January.

The society has maintained that its current 6400sqm of infrastructure, which needs to be demolished to make way for the redevelopment, should be replaced in the precinct and has rejected all offers of cash and land-swap deals so far.

The City has recommended that the council endorse a final offer, which includes a cash payment of $750,000 in exchange for the Hanrahan Road tip site - currently held under crown grant in trust by the society - which it says would enable the group to construct its own infrastructure in a 3600sqm space on North Road adjacent to Knight Street.

The agreed site would be leased for 30 years at a peppercorn rent, and the City proposed to remove existing buildings at its own cost and undertake site works to the value of $220,000 for the proposed building.

The City would also continue its in-kind support of the Albany Show to a value of $25,000.

The recommendation outlines that in the event the society does not accept the final offer, the council should terminate the society's licence to occupy Centennial Oval.

However, an area would be made available at Centennial Park for the Albany Show and the City would allow the use of the new buildings "subject to cost recovery".

Albany Agricultural Society president Rob Wright said the society had always been in favour of the development, but emphasised its need for at least 6000sqm in undercover space to remain viable.

The society estimates that without adequate undercover space, it would need to spend more than $120,000 per year to hire marquees to cover the shortfall.

"The biggest priority of the whole thing is the long-term viability for the society and the show," Mr Wright said.

"If we don't have that infrastructure, the show will die out because we simply won't be able to afford to run it."

The council will vote on the recommendation at its ordinary council meeting next Tuesday.