Glass House visitor centre official opening

Glass House visitor centre to open in May

The Sunshine Coast Council today announced the much-awaited opening of the new Glass House Visitor and Interpretive Centre.

The official opening is planned for Saturday 9 May from 10am till midday at the Settler’s Rotary Park in the Glass House Mountains township.

A huge crowd is expected to attend the opening, which will be a community celebration with a live band, displays, stall holders, special guests and a performance by the Glass House School Choir.

Council is calling for locals who want to have a stall or display on the opening day to register their interest now.

The state-of-the-art centre is a highly significant addition to the Sunshine Coast, as it will be the first stop for tourists heading north who are looking for information on Coast attractions and accommodation.

The centre will showcase the area’s rich environmental and historical attractions. The architect-designed building is energy efficient with three rainwater tanks to service the public toilets. It is set in a landscaped park complete with a bridge over a stony creek and sun sculpture.

The new centre replaces a well-worn caravan, which, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, has done a fantastic job providing visitor information for the past six years. The caravan will be farewelled on the site during the opening celebrations.

Council, with the assistance of Government grants, allocated $1.043 million for the construction and fit-out for the new centre, which is already a drawcard due to the popular council-built children’s playground outside.

Division One Councillor Anna Grosskreutz said the project had attracted strong support from the State Government, including a Regional Centres Program Grant of $475,000 and a Public Conveniences Subsidy of $25,000. The Australian Government provided $273,454.50 through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

Cr Grosskreutz said the centre would provide the first taste of the Sunshine Coast for those taking the scenic route along Steve Irwin Way.

“The Glass House Mountains area is a beautiful and popular destination for visitors – and for many people it’s also the gateway to the rest of our hinterland and the Sunshine Coast region,’’ Cr Grosskreutz said.

With the work now finished, Cr Grosskreutz said it was time for the community to join the party by celebrating this significant new milestone for the region.

She called on anyone wanting to have a stall or display during the opening celebrations to contact council.

“I want this to be a real community celebration, so I hope to see local artists, businesses, craftspeople and others get involved,” Cr Grosskreutz said.

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