Donnybrook revival on ice

Plans to revive the heart of Donnybrook with an Apple Interpretive Centre have been temporarily shelved after the Royalties for Regions Country Local Government Fund pulled its promised final year of funding earlier this year.

Shire president Steve Dilley was disappointed to see the council’s three years of hard work and planning amount to nothing.

In March the Bunbury-Wellington Group of local governments requested $4.35 million for regional programs, expecting the State Government would allocate $94 million in its final year of funding when the budget was handed down in August.

The group advised that $1 million of the requested funding would go to the Apple Interpretive Centre, covering about one third of the project.

Mr Dilley said having the group’s support made it easier to submit secondary grant requests, on the proviso the State would allocate the funds.

“The disappointing thing is that it pulled the rug from under us,” he said.

“It was a really good project and we had nearly all the ducks lined up but since the fund was dropped we lost everything.”

Mr Dilley said the curve-shaped building would include the Donnybrook historic goods shed to display old apple machines and farming practices, which would then open into the interpretive centre where the State’s apple industry would be highlighted.

Donnybrook’s rich history, as well as the town’s resource centre and the Donnybrook Community Radio, would also set up shop in the centre.

Shire chief executive officer John Attwood said the heartache now involved taking the impressive design back to the drawing board and working out what the council could do to reduce the expenses to fit with other grants.

He said council had put forward $500,000 to the project, but hoped pending grant proposals would come through.

Mr Dilley said the town needed the $3 million project to go ahead to help it transition from a farming community into a tourist destination and commuter town.

A Department for Regional Development spokeswoman said approved projects would still receive $34.5 million in carry-over funds this financial year.