Reprieve for Hotel Australasia after rescission motion
There has been a small reprieve for Hotel Australasia supporters after a tense and somewhat confused discussion in last night's council meeting over the sale of the hotel.
Council resolved for the general manager and mayor to negotiate the sale with the current interested party, but that it must be brought back to council for consideration.
The motion, proposed by Cr Sharon Tapscott and amended by Mayor Kristy McBain also instructed staff to look at funding opportunities including the offer of $1.5m by Country Labor.
Council heard three deputations from speakers urging council to keep the Hotel Australasia because there were good economic reasons and social benefits in so doing.
Julian Webb from the Eden Access Centre told the council meeting that the centre was desperately short of space and would be happy to act as the head lessee
"I urge you to keep the Hotel Australasia and use it for the Access Centre and library. There is a need for a community hub or co-service location where people can access to a range of service providers. We have a strong demand for space. We’re bursting at the seams. We have to counsel people in an open office," he said.
"There is a great need for a community hub. We’re advocating shifting up to the Hotel Australasia and for that we need to keep the hotel. It's large, got parking and is a great location and we urge you to keep it and work with us and then sell the current premises we're in," Mr Webb said.
Councillors also heard a fiery rebuttal of selling the hotel from Jenny Robb who was speaking as a community member and owner of two tourism businesses.
"This is smack in middle of our main street. $44m has been spent on the wharf extension. The rhetoric is all about regional benefit but in Eden more and more eyes are on our town," Ms Robb said.
She said the Visitor Information Centre could be located there providing ease of access with parking at the back and with a central cafe "to generate income".
"Why not at least start seeking funding to bring the facade back. There's a need for hot desking and meeting spaces," Ms Robb said.
"While the debate continues you do own it. This space could achieve so much more. The time spent on this has achieved literally nothing. There are new uses which should make every one of you look at this building with new eyes," Ms Robb said.
Karen Lott, owner of the award winning Sprout Cafe, said the suggestions of moving the Access Centre, Visitor Information Centre and library to the hotel would benefit locals and visitors.
She said that moving the Access Centre and library would be a "reinvigoration of a building built for people gathering since its beginnings".
Ms Lott spoke with passion about Nethercote Hall and what communities could achieve.
"Nethercote Hall was a derelict building 20 years ago. Naysayers said we should bulldoze it but we've not only built a hall but a community along the way," Ms Lott said.
"I see no reason why the Hotel Australasia cannot become another asset."
The hotel was being debated yet again because Cr Tapscott had submitted a rescission motion.
Cr Tapscott said that following further information and advice since the previous council meeting she believed there had been an error of meeting process and that information regarding funding opportunities, critical to the decision making, was not available at the meeting.