By NICOLE WILLIAMS
BERWICK is in need of a facelift and ’some excitement’, according to outgoing Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce president Harry Hutchinson.
Mr Hutchinson handed over the presidency to Bing Restaurant owner Clinton Blanchord after six years at the helm, at the BVCC Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 27 August.
In his last annual president’s report, Mr Hutchinson highlighted a number of issues that would secure the future of Berwick Village.
“Traders are doing it tough,” he said.
“It has been the same old for a number of years, we need some excitement.”
The Lyall Road development, on the vacant land opposite the Berwick Inn, could be just the boost needed to revitalise the traditional shopping strip, he said.
“We need that development to happen now. It would bring more people in who would spend more money.”
Mr Hutchinson believes it would bring in about 200 people during construction.
He had hoped the development would have been under way during his final term.The project is a development of the Harmon Group, led by Paul Harmon, which has been proposed for over three years.
Mr Hutchinson also said existing buildings needed to be filled by new workers, such as the former Porter Davis building.
“We need to get empty office spaces filled. A major government office would bring in large amounts of people,” he said.
“We’ve lost over 200 office jobs out of Berwick, and we need to get that back. We need people to live and work in the City of Casey.”
However, Mr Hutchinson said there was hope in the upcoming redevelopment of St John of God Hospital, which was announced this year.
“It is not only about the hospital,” he said.
“Think of visitors, of people running around. It will be untold financial benefit for our village.”
Mr Hutchinson said visitors would shop and eat in Berwick restaurants as well as use services like lawyers, banking and medical professionals.
Although, he did highlight the ’tough time’ traders might experience with hundreds of tradesmen searching for parks in the already parking-strapped town.
“But we will survive and it will be terrific for future growth.”
For more in the BVCC Annual General Meeting, turn to page 21.
