If you’ve ever wanted to spend the night in a former police station, you could soon get the opportunity in Wellington.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dubbo Regional Council is looking into the future uses of the Old Wellington Police Station and Gaol. A $250,000 grant from the NSW government has been secured to turn the site into a Justice Museum, but council has also looked into the possibility of making it into a multi-use outdoor community space.
The site includes six offices, bathrooms, an exercise yard and six cells. It needs conservation work due to the decaying brickwork and rising damp.
Council has held extensive consultation with community and business stakeholder groups to help decide the future of the space.
In a report on the plans for the building, Western Plains Cultural Centre manager Andrew Glassop said one of the most popular plans for the site was for a community space with a screen and stage in the main holding yard where monthly film sessions could be held.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
The cells would be used for lockable storage.
Mr Glassop said turning it into a multi-use space would also make the yard available for community uses such as markets.
Another option, which has been classified as highly feasible is for the multi-use outdoor community space “plus adaptation of the former police station buildings into historically-themed accommodation, pop-up cafe and micro-brewery”.
Mr Glassop said the challenge with turning the facility into a tourism attraction would be to source an appropriate operator to invest in the proposal.
However, if an investor decided to take on the project, Mr Glassop said it would provide significant benefits to Wellington’s visitor economy.
Options which have been determined to be less feasible is for the buildings to be turned into an area for Aboriginal youth support services or for an artists in residence accommodation.
At this stage, council will call for expressions of interest for anyone who wishes to maintain and use the site. The successful applicant will be granted a three-year lease.
Council would still be responsible for major maintenance tasks and conservation of the site.
A feasibility report will also be undertaken to determine the appropriateness of turning the former gaol into a Justice Museum.