Thursday March 10, 2011 – Riverland Weekly • 5
Convention centre scoping study on the way soon By BRAD PERRY THE finer details of a plan to construct a convention centre in Renmark could be known by the end of the year, with a scoping study expected to go ahead within four months. Nine members of the Riverland Convention Centre Steering Committee met on Monday night to discuss the next step for the centre’s proposal, including possible funding options. Steering Committee acting chair Richard Fewster said the group hopes to receive a sum of money as part of the $20 million Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund to begin a scoping study which would detail the project’s design, funding sources, loca-
tion, size, capacity, management structure, anticipated functions and weigh up associated risks and benefits. “The people that we look like engaging for the scoping study have done similar work throughout Australia, South East Asia and New Zealand to get projects like this...off the ground,” he said. “I’d like to think we’d have a green light for the scoping study in the next three or four months.” While Mr Fewster is optimistic the project will go ahead, he said until the study is completed, there are no guarantees. “What we need to do is get this scoping study underway and completed and then we’ll know whether we’ve got
a project or not,” he said. “You’d have to say that given the level of community support, it would have to attract a lot of attention in terms of state and federal governments in seeing the project come to fruition.” Mr Fewster said the committee would like to see a not-for-profit organisation own the centre. “What we envisage is the whole thing will be owned... by the community,” he said. “This is only early days but (the community) will either operate, or more likely, lease the place to a professional organisation. “We envisage that local Riverland people, or people of the community in general, will be able to invest in apart-
ments and hotel units on a strata title structure within the centre itself.” Once the scoping study is done, Mr Fewster said plans will be drawn up and the committee will apply for a currrently unknown amount of money through the Federal Government’s billion dollar regional development fund to begin work on the centre. “You wouldn’t see anything physical on the ground for two or three years at the best,” he said. “Given the local support, it has been endorsed by the Renmark Paringa Council and inprinciple support, it
doesn’t at this point of time seem to have anything that is holding it back.” Mr Fewster said the convention centre would “drought proof” the region, which is reliant on irrigation, by providing communities with another income. At this stage, Mr Fewster said there have been discussions as to where the centre
should be built, including vacant land at Olivewood. “There have been suggestions of using (the centre plan) to demolish large parts of existing premises in the centre of Renmark, to use it for urban renewal so you can replace the existing shops with new shops, which would be part of the convention centre,” Mr Fewster said.
■ BREAKFAST: Darrell Klingbiel unloads a feed of grapes for his cows on his hobby farm at Cobdogla North. Photos: JANE WILSON
Grape fed cattle enjoying new taste FEEDING livestock can be an expensive exercise but by thinking outside of the square, Cobdogla North hobby farmer Darrell Klingbiel has been able to save money while, at the same time, feeding his beasts. To supplement the usual diet of grain and hay, Mr Klingbiel has been serving up grapes to his cows, sheep and pigs and they can’t get enough of them. Each morning Mr Klingbiel drives over to David Agg’s vineyard in Barmera, where he loads up his truck with buckets of table grapes which do not meet market standards. On his return to the farm, he is greeted eagerly by his menagerie as they clamber to get a taste of the juicy grapes. Mr Klingbiel said it is still
■ JUICY: A young Murray grey cannot get enough of a feed of rejected table grapes. important for his stock to maintain a balanced diet and not just gorge themselves on grapes.
“Balanced with grain and hay, the grapes are good for them. “Too much though and it upsets their stomachs.” He said his animals appear to benefit from their unusual diet. “They seem to look a lot healthier and there’s definitely more of a benefit than an adverse effect,” Mr Klingbiel said. “It saves paying for grain and they (the grapes) would normally just be tipped on the block.” A tongue-in-cheek suggestion was made to Mr Klingbiel to develop a niche market for the Riverland with his grape-fed stock rather than the usual grain-fed variety. Perhaps it is something that could be looked into but for now, Mr Klingbiel is quite content doing what he knows best, keeping his animals healthy and happy.
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