By Jenel Hunt
Wattle-Doo Arts and Craft is to close down its shop in the Warwick Town Hall and the Warwick Visitor Information Centre will move across the hall into the space, but the move could meet with opposition from some of the centre’s volunteers, the Southern Downs Regional Council has heard.
The planned move has also been described as a band-aid fix rather than a long-term solution for the visitor information centre.
The move would allow Wattle-Doo to wind down its shop commitments while giving the VIC a bigger space for its displays and would allow Wattle Doo’s craft items to be displayed and sold at the centre.
But at the general meeting of council on 18 September, Deputy Mayor Sheryl Windle said she’d had contact with some of the volunteers who had confided that they didn’t want to sell craft items for Wattle-Doo.
“They believe their role is to offer visitors to our region the many to-do options that are available to them as tourists and to offer travel, accommodation, shopping and what’s-on options and advice,” she said.
“If they are to have items available to purchase then they would rather see souvenir items relating to our region and not craft. They’re very concerned about being able to do both.
“I’ve also been advised that at least three of the volunteers will not continue to volunteer at the visitors centre if they are to sell craft items as they feel this would detract from what they are actually meant to be doing.
“I don’t think we can afford to lose volunteers. I really want to be able to help Wattle-Doo to be able to continue to sell their craft – they offer a great service to the community – but it’s going to be really hard to get that balance.
“I’m also concerned about the quantity that Wattle-Doo have as far as their craft goes – how are we going to condense that down and fit in with the rest of the tourist information brochures?”
She described the planned move as a bandaid fix without having a plan in place for a long-term solution to the housing of the visitor information centre.
Mayor Cr Melissa Hamilton agreed, giving a message to council staff that there needed to be a continuing focus on a long-term plan.
She also wanted feedback from the volunteers to be brought back to the council in coming months on how well the new space was working.
“I would like to see follow-through so that the voice of the volunteers is brought back to council and heard,” she said.
Council’s communications and marketing co-ordinator Izelle Barnard said communication had gone out to all 20 VIC volunteers and the 17 who had responded (three were not contactable) had been in favour of moving to the bigger space. Two people had indicated they were concerned about selling craft, she said.
“The move would improve displays and merchandise.”
At a meeting between council officers and volunteers volunteers had been assured there would be quality control for the items on sale, she said, and the larger space would also mean being able to invite more artisans to put their work on display.
She said Wattle-Doo committee members had been open to the proposal due to an ageing volunteer cohort, the struggle to maintain opening hours and low income from sales. The change would also give the craft group a seven-day-a week access to a broader public audience.
The council resolved to agree to Wattle-Doo’s request to terminate its tenancy agreement and that Wattle-Doo would become a supplier of the VIC. The move would allow repairs to be carried out at the VIC’s current smaller space at the Town Hall. A review of the move is to be presented at the council’s January meeting.
A small group from the visitor information centre attended the meeting to hear the outcome.
