Benefits all round with Donnybrook town centre revitalisation

The transformation of the Donnybrook town centre is full steam ahead, after a South West builder was announced as the contractor for the revitalisation project. Contract negotiations were finalised last week when the Donnybrook-Balingup Shire Council appointed Perkins Builders as the successful contractor for the heritage project, which will see the redevelopment of the Goods Shed and surrounding area. Conceptual images of the planned facelift have been released, with the project aiming to better connect the public space on both sides of the railway heritage precinct and the Apple Fun Park. Shire president Brian Piesse said the completed project would activate the town centre between South Western Highway and Collins Street and create an asset that would provide a range of benefits to the economy and the tourism industry. “The key to the project is the renewal and adaption of the heritage-listed Goods Shed to showcase the region’s heritage in an interpretive and interactive way,” Mr Piesse said. The council secured $2 million in State Government funding last year through the Royalties for Regions program for the project. Site work is expected to begin in late September and is anticipated to be completed in February/March 2021. South West Development Commission chief executive officer Mellisa Teede said the revitalisation would open up new opportunities for the town and breathe new life into an underused area. “The benefits are already flowing to the local South West community with Perkins Builders awarded the contract for the delivery of the project,” Ms Teede said. “That’s what we like to see — locals benefiting from State Government-funded projects through the creation of job and business opportunities.”