The Chronicle

Options open for old silos

Kennards to talk with community

- TOM GILLESPIE tom.gillespie@thechronic­le.com.au

A NATIONAL self-storage company moving to Toowoomba says it is open to transformi­ng a set of old grain silos into a public attraction.

Kennards earlier this year bought a 7000sq m block of land on Anzac Ave in Harristown, which was previously owned by Graincorp.

A set of a dozen silos came with the purchase, which don’t interfere with the company setting up its business on the other half of the block.

While initial informatio­n suggested Kennards would remove the massive silos, a spokeswoma­n said it was open to more transforma­tive options.

“We have no plans to remove the silos at this time,” she said.

“We are open to working with the council or other community organisati­ons to transform the silos into an key attraction in Toowoomba.

“All viable options will be reviewed and we’ll make informed decisions once we understand what the possibilit­ies

are.”

Silo art has become a popular feature in south-west Queensland, after a pair of Brisbane street artists created a beautiful mural on four silos at the tiny town of Thallon, south of St George.

Prior to that, the regional Victorian town of Brim shot to fame in January 2016 after Brisbane artist Guido van Helten painted a giant mural on the town’s disused grain silo.

More recently and closer to home, the Clifton Chamber of

Commerce and Industry put forward a proposal to Graincorp to create an art piece on some of its silos outside the town.

Toowoomba is also no stranger to public art, thanks to the acclaimed First Coat Festival

that ran in the CBD for several years.

The Kennards spokeswoma­n said the company chose Toowoomba because of customer demand.

“Our customers have been asking when we will be in Toowoomba,”

she said.

“We’re delighted to finally be able to meet their needs, and that of the local community.

“We are starting with five full-time employees and building the team from there as the business grows.”

 ?? Photo: Bev Lacey/Contribute­d ?? NEW ATTRACTION: Kennards is open to transformi­ng old grain silos it now owns on Anzac Ave into a public attraction, such as the art mural created on silos in Thallon (inset).
Photo: Bev Lacey/Contribute­d NEW ATTRACTION: Kennards is open to transformi­ng old grain silos it now owns on Anzac Ave into a public attraction, such as the art mural created on silos in Thallon (inset).

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