Centre needs consideration

AS the concepts for the Global Tourism Hub in Cairns are being finalised, a proposal to include a onestop World Heritage visitor information centre warrants examination.

The hub has to be more than a casino, hotels, bars and restaurants.

It must be something to draw visitors who want to learn and appreciate more about the Far North’s natural attractions, especially the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests.

It is expected an indigenous cultural component will be part of the hub and perhaps this also could be incorporated in the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s 10-year-old World Heritage Gateway proposal.

The gateway would act as a central meeting point where visitors and locals would interact and be inspired to experience the diverse environments and peoples of Tropical North Queensland.

It would help people plan and organise expeditions onto the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics rainforests and to learn about the region from traditional owners.

The building could be a destination itself and architects should be urged to prepare concepts as soon as possible.

Take the World Heritage Mount Fuji World Centre in Japan.

The stunning building is an inverted pyramid or an inverted version of Mount Fuji reflected in a bordering lake.

The plan is for the centre to be dynamic and constantly changing.

The venue could be the focal point of the hub, linking the casino, hotels and other attractions.

The hub will need a wow factor. It can’t be a concrete jungle with neon lights. It must reflect the Reef and the rainforests of our region. Nick Dalton Deputy editor