Pental Island to get $7.5m Aboriginal tourism precinct

Swan Hill’s Pental Island is due to get a major cash injection with millions being spent over the next ten years to upgrade the region.

Swan Hill Council is planning a $7.5m Pental Island Aboriginal cultural centre.

An island on the Murray River could be Victoria‘s next cultural tourism hotspot as the local council plans to spend $7.5m over the next decade to create an Aboriginal precinct.

While stakeholders and Traditional Owners are still being consulted, the proposed precinct would include three main stages of development — an education experience, a botanical garden and a cultural retreat and camp.

The Pental Island precinct will include a bushtucker dining experience.

The first stage would be all about learning about First Nations people through tourism and educational experiences, some of the ideas include a bushtucker dining experience and a cultural tour of the island.

It‘s hoped stage two would enhance the local Aboriginal connection to country through a botanic garden using local plants.

A treetop adventure climb would also feature in the precinct.

According to council staff, this would help deliver a ‘Caring for Country’ program which is “essential for the benefit of first nations people and visitors to the region”.

“This stage will also work with the existing ‘Caring for Country’ program which is essential for delivering a holistic Pental Island natural and cultural experience that benefits both the local Aboriginal community and visitors,” a council statement said.

A render of the cultural precinct.

Stage two would also include a tree top adventure climb or nature play adventure playground.

Lastly, stage three would include an overnight cultural retreat and the opportunity to camp on country.

Swan Hill Council planning and development director Heather Green said the community had already pitched in some “fantastic” ideas for the island.

“We’ve received some really fantastic ideas from local cultural and tourism experts, ” Ms Green said.

“We are excited about the potential for Pental Island to become a place of culture sharing and education.”