Flinders Island will be home to a new collective of artisanal businesses under one roof in 2018.
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The Flinders Wharf Shed will house a coffee shop, providore kitchen, restaurant, whisky distillery, function spaces and office spaces.
Work on the $1.36 million project is set to begin imminently after receiving $600,000 in federal government funding from the federal government’s Regional Jobs and Investment Package.
The S-Group designed building will open before the end of the year, according to co-developer Joanna Youl.
“The light is starting to turn on Flinders Island,” she said.
“There are a lot of people working extraordinarily hard behind the scenes to see Flinders on the map with its own unique identity.
“The project will see many new jobs created covering a range of skills from chefs, whisky makers, baristas, food service, marketing and design innovators, tour guides, pilots, administrative staff and IT support.
“Ultimately [the shed] is to improve the visitors experience to Flinders.”
Ms Youl and her husband Tom also own A Taste of Flinders cafe on the island.
Additionally, the pair has also had a large involvement with the Flinders Island tourist strategy and re-brand – Visit Flinders Island.
The body was handed the award for Best Destination Marketing at the 2017 Tasmanian Tourism awards by the Tasmanian Industry Council Tasmania.
“We think Flinders Island is amazing and we want to put it on the map,” Ms Youl said.
“We did a tourism re-brand two years ago and we consulted really heavily with the community and community groups.
“Our [tourism] strategy is about mother nature, human nature and living by the natural order of things.”
Ms Youl said the new project is an extension of the island’s tourist strategy, with the pair hoping the Flinders Wharf Shed will attract a further 1000 people to the island each year.
She estimated these numbers would add $30 million to the local economy over the shed’s 20-year lease.
A part of the plan to bring tourists across seas to the shed is by running regular whisky tours, producer weekends and produce-related events.
However, it is the island’s unique character that will continue to be marketed to potential visitors.
“We’re working on new products, but it’s about the quirky characters [on Flinders Island] and living by nature.
“Each day you wake up and don’t know what you’re going to get.”
For more information on the Regional Jobs and Investment Package, go to business.gov.au/assistance.