THE Berri Barmera district is preparing to throw its hat in the ring to house a proposed multi-million-dollar wine and food centre.
At last month’s ordinary meeting, the Berri Barmera Council voted to establish a working group to liaise with Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone to discuss the State Government’s planned Riverland Wine and Food Centre.
Deputy mayor Cr Ella Winnall proposed the motion following a deputation by Mr Whetstone.
“When Ernst and Young did the consultation for the feasibility study, they called on anyone who had any interest,” Mr Whetstone said.
“I approached all of the councils back when I made that pledge for the region. Berri Barmera Council wasn’t interested.
“I spoke to the then-CEO (Andre Stuyt) and he wasn’t really interested.
“I spoke with all of the councils, including Mid Murray and they gave me some level of interest.
“I spoke then with small working groups in the different areas.
“Loxton have a working group, Riverland West have a working group, Renmark have a working group, and I’ve had approaches from Swan Reach from a small working group down there.
“The invitation was there to everyone to be a part of it.”
Mr Whetstone told elected members the district could “absolutely” still put together a working group.
“If we are going to look at a food and wine centre or a food and wine museum, it has to be truly representative of the Riverland, so it either needs a backdrop of horticulture or the river, and they were the two calls in the public engagement,” he said.
“Basically, anyone who wants to put a working group together and put forward a submission or idea, I’m all ears.
“(But) it’s not just something the Government are going to tip a lot of money into and it’s just going to pop out of the ground. There has to be a level of commitment from the community wherever it goes.”
A business case for the proposed centre, a State Government election promise, released last year, found the facility could cost up to $19 million and create more than 100 jobs.