The National Trust is thrilled to announce that Be Our Guest Holdings is the successful applicant to lease Collie Roundhouse. The company plans to transform this heritage property into a vibrant public and commercial space.
Built in the 1950s, Collie Roundhouse is as a significant relic of Western Australia’s history being the state’s only roundhouse and turntable that remains in situ.
Julian Donaldson, National Trust of Western Australia CEO, said, “Be Our Guest Holdings presented an inspired vision that respects the heritage values of the site through a major adaptive re-use project and presents Collie with a tremendous opportunity to leverage its remarkable tourism potential”.
The potential development, which proposes a joint venture between private enterprise and State Government, will re-activate the Collie Roundhouse building and precinct, extending to the existing Visitor Centre site, to drive guests to the town and region.
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said, “This proposal – by a proven operator with an extraordinary record of delivering quality hospitality and accommodation in regional WA – would transform the Roundhouse into a world-class destination”.
The unique vision integrates public space, parklands, adventure play, landscaped bushland, a range of accommodation options and spaces for functions, exhibitions and events.
The proposal, while still in the early planning stages, includes craft food and beverage options, a café and bistro, quality boutique accommodation and an adventure tourism camping area to the east of the Roundhouse.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said, “A project of this scale would create numerous jobs in construction and in the ongoing operation and have significant flow-on benefits for the town”.
The proposal expressed sensitivity to the site’s rail heritage, respecting the Collie community’s vision for the site as well as past and future use of the space as a community asset.
Be Our Guest Holdings is a proven Western Australian success story, most notably owning the Dome café brand which now operates in more than 60 locations across the state.
The company has also developed and operates a number of independent label restaurants, hotels, wine bars and event venues, which have adaptive re-use of landmark heritage assets as a strong focus, and are unique assets to regional WA.
A recent regional successes include the adaptive re-use of a nineteenth-century industrial heritage complex in Katanning.
The National Trust, along with the State Government, will continue to work with Be Our Guest Holdings to enable further planning and development of the site.
