NEW plans for Port Fairy’s wharf area are shaping up to be a missed opportunity.
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Under a proposed redevelopment a 1950s brick building that until recently housed Wisharts at the Wharf seafood restaurant would be knocked down and replaced.
That in itself is an excellent plan, the drab and tired building that sits there now being an eyesore.
The problem is that the new plans for another single-storey building are less than inspiring.
The site in King George Square is one of the best in the south-west with views across the picturesque Moyne River and it deserves a once in a lifetime project that will serve as an exciting amenity for the town and its visitors.
A petition calling for the shire and the port authorities who own the site is circulating online and it rightly calls for a rethink of the plans that would maximise the area’s potential.
Port Fairy has a well-deserved reputation as a go-ahead little town and over the past two decades has worked tirelessly to earn its stripes as one of the best tourist destinations in Victoria.
However, it lacks a large, first-class venue, somewhere that would comfortably hold more than 150 people for, say, a wedding or a conference.
The site at King George Square would be the ideal spot for such a venue.
A tasteful, two-storey development with a balcony and restaurant and space for shops beneath would be a fantastic result for the townspeople and tourists alike.
With a little bit of imagination and a fresh, bold design the wharf area could be transformed into a must-see, must-visit venue on the tourist map.
Parking for a larger venue might be a sticking point, but where there is a will there is a way.
A community meeting at 7pm on August 7 at the Community Services Centre has been scheduled by the shire to present and discuss the plans. Community input is essential for this particular project because it is such an important site.
Port Fairy can ill afford to get this one wrong.