Dolphin Discovery Centre general manager David Kerr has described a desire to see the facility become a ‘window into the region’ in response to concerns from a number of business owners.
Last month the Mail attended a meeting of restaurant owners angry that a planned $12.3 million redevelopment of the centre included function rooms and a restaurant.
Many in the group felt these facilities, being paid for by the state government, would be in direct competition with private enterprises in the CBD. There are also plans to secure liquor licenses to better cater for weddings and functions.
Mr Kerr, who is also the president of the Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and Industries, told an industry briefing on Tuesday that his focus throughout the years of planning for the Bunbury Waterfront Transformation was to activate the CBD.
“Hospitality is a difficult game and we need people walking through the door so let’s work together to get more people here,” he said.
“Our primary objective is to attract a sh*tload more people to Bunbury to benefit everyone’s businesses.
“If people are not turning right at the roundabout and coming to visit us then we’ve got nothing. But I know that once we get them here, we can keep them interested and coming back for more.”
Mr Kerr said the approach of the marine alliance which worked over many years to package up all the waterfront development ideas into one cohesive proposal to government, could also work now for the hospitality industry.
Bunbury MLA John Castrilli, who headed the alliance, said he hopes to enlarge the economic pie.
“Bunbury people need to support each other by promoting our city the way the businesses in Margaret River do,” he said. “We need to raise the bar and have quality across the board.”
Mr Kerr said it was important for Bunbury to stop the leakage of tourism dollars.
“Everything we do needs to focus on being competitive globally, selling our city and the experiences, food and lifestyle you can enjoy here as a whole,” he said.
City of Bunbury councillor Sam Morris said if the people and businesses in Bunbury band together, a decade from now, Margaret River might just look like a backwater.
“This redevelopment will make Bunbury a prime location if we sell it right and there is no reason why people won’t want to make this their number one tourism destination,” he said.