Benalla’s hub for visitor information relocated on Tuesday, July 5, to a new temporary home on Bridge St.
Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn said the Visitor Information Centre has moved from its former Church St location to the Commercial Hotel building at 4 Bridge St East.
"The move sees the VIC located right on our main street in prime position for visitors to drop in and learn more about our beautiful town and region,“ Cr Hearn said.
“While it is only temporary, until the new Visitor Centre, museum, café and cinema building is open, using the Commercial Hotel building ties in perfectly with one of our big visitor drawcards, Ned Kelly.
“The Commercial played a part in Ned Kelly’s story; it was here the police planned the arrest of Australia’s most notorious bushranger, probably over a couple of beers.
“This alone will be a reason for visitors to stop.”
Moving to this prime new location also coincides with Benalla’s involvement in a state-wide initiative encouraging drivers to 'press pause' on their road trip to combat drowsy driving and help people stay safe when travelling across the state.
A partnership between the Victoria Tourism Industry Council and Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission, this six-month pilot program will run until December 2022.
The pilot involves 11 accredited visitor information centres that have been selected to gather insights with the aim of expanding the program beyond December.