Treasury to open doors

Inside peek at controversial complex

HOBART’S iconic Treasury Building will be opened to the public on the weekend of November 10 and 11 as the Government ponders the future of the grand old sandstone complex.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein has told State Parliament not many people would have had the chance to see inside the building, and it was important that people we well-informed as the debate took place over the building’s future.

There have been calls for the buildings to be turned into a high-end hotel or art gallery.

“The Government understands that the future of the Treasury Buildings is an important community conversation that we need to have and one that the Government welcomes,” Mr Gutwein said this week.

“However, the majority of the buildings are virtually off limits to all but a handful of people, meaning many people that want to contribute to the debate have probably never set foot inside the buildings.”

He said the building was no longer suitable as modern office space, so it was time to discuss what other uses might be made of one of Hobart’s outstanding landmarks.

“The open weekend will help to inform the public conversation, with guided tours and key heritage areas to be opened to the public that will allow the community to enjoy this remarkable piece of Tasmania’s heritage while better informing them of its potential for other uses,” he said.

Details will be announced on the Open House Hobart website in early October.