A new $750,000 hotel and conference centre to be built on the Copper City Motel site has secured NSW and Commonwealth Government tourism funding.
The new Copper City Hotel will rise as part of an adjunct to the 30-room Copper City Motel, which Out of the Ordinary Outback tourism company purchased in 2014.
Out of the Ordinary Outback’s managing director Scott Smith explained the disused restaurant in the motel will be converted into a single-floor hotel with a bar and eatery, two accommodation rooms and three conference rooms which, combined, will be able to accommodate 230 people.
Mr Smith said work on the hotel is scheduled to start late next month and he hopes stage one, which includes the eatery and bar, will be open to the public by October while the conference and accommodation rooms are expected to be completed by April, 2018.
The project has received a $375,000 grant (to be matched by $375,000 by Out of the Ordinary Outback) under the Commonwealth Government’s Tourism Demand-Driver Infrastructure program, which is administered by the State Government to boost product quality for visitors.
State Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries and Mr Smith were in Cobar on Monday to announce the project.
“We received more than 90 competitive tourism proposals from across the state for this round, with 21 being successful, including this project in Cobar,” Mr Humphries said.
“Tourism is one of the state’s strongest growth sectors and this program delivers much needed funding injections to help drive tourism in regional NSW.”
Mr Humphries said “the project ticks a whole lot of boxes” for employment outcomes and the visitor economy.
The project build is expected to create employment for approximately 10 people and once completed the hotel/motel/conference centre is estimated to employ 12 staff.
Mr Smith said he has been in talks with local employment organisation, Murdi Paaki, about providing traineeships and jobs for local indigenous people during the build and later when the hotel/conference facility is operating.
