Not-for-profit plan for gallery site

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan says he wants a purpose-built art gallery built in an iconic location in the city.

This comes after the Bunbury City Council voted to allow chief executive officer Andrew Brien to progress plans to build not-for-profit offices in the carpark of the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries on Wittenoom Street.

This was the location identified in two reports to the council for an expanded art gallery.

But the council proposal is to co-locate the offices and more gallery space on the same site.

“I think the proposal we have at the moment indicates we are looking for value-adding in everything we do, ” Mr Brennan said.

However, he said Bunbury and the South West deserved to have a regional art gallery built, but said this would be a long time into the future.

He hoped it would be built in an iconic place in Bunbury as was common in other Australian cities.

“I think that is the sort of setting that I envisage for a purpose-built art gallery, ” he said.

“However, that is so far in the future that I may not have input on that.”

The proposal comes after community pressure forced the council to abandon plans locate not-for-profit group offices at the Stirling Street Arts Centre.

The council then endorsed Mr Brien to report with alternative sites earlier this year.

In his response to the council, three locations were shortlisted but the preferred site was the council-owned art gallery carpark.

Mr Brennan said the community would be consulted about the plan.