The project has not been without difficulty. Project Manager, Laurie Kane, gave a snapshot of some of the hurdles faced by organisers.

“One of the intentions of the Waterfall Way Centre is to reveal our dynamic, enterprising and creative communities to visitors but it has been wrongly perceived as simply a tourism office.

“The inception, development and management of the facility has been driven by business, events, environment and arts organisations, along with Council, and these groups have welcomed community input to ensure it has a relevant and pivotal role for our community’s wellbeing.”

“The Waterfall Way Centre is itself an innovation – a kind of ‘enterprise hub’ and showcase of the best of Waterfall Way, whether it is eco-friendly products, artistic endeavour, events, hospitality or shops.

“We have a unique opportunity to harness the collaborative energy of these groups, and to establish a catalyst for continuous improvement, both in the way we promote our businesses as well as in the way we network and use our resources.

“You could call it a semi-socialist approach to economic development – supporting the individual in developing their own livelihood while supporting groups who work together out of enlightened self-interest.”

Council’s involvement is an important ‘third hand’ in guiding local and regional collaboration and in providing economic development programs from the Centre.

The Waterfall Way Development Committee sees the project as one with positive economic and cultural benefits to the community and is looking for financial support in getting the Centre off to a good start.

“Federal funding for such infrastructure projects is currently suspended so some services may take time to come online. In this first stage, we’d like to see local support to get the Centre open before the end of year.