Tolmie’s popular Tea Rooms will be redeveloped with the help of a $75,580 Victorian Government grant announced today by Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan.

Mr Ryan said the Tolmie Tea Rooms, Kitchen and Activity Room Redevelopment project would provide an aesthetically pleasing ‘fit for purpose’ community building that blends into the bush surroundings but meets modern standards of health, hygiene, safety and access.

“The Tolmie Tea Rooms, formerly the old Toombullup School House that was donated to the Tolmie community in 1959, is a two-room weatherboard building with a kitchen and a meeting/activity room,” Mr Ryan said.

“Despite the ongoing efforts of the community, the building, which is located next to the Tolmie sports ground, has serious structural issues and is in a condition that local builders and the Mansfield Shire Council say is no longer a cost-effective option to continue repairing and maintaining.

“The Committee of Management of the Tolmie Mechanics Institute and Recreation Reserve will construct a new building on the existing footprint, incorporating some of the key design features of the much-loved old building.

“The new two-room building will incorporate a secure commercial kitchen and meeting/activity room with secure storage space for local recreational groups as well as a 24-hour accessible ‘camp kitchen’.”

The Tolmie Tea Rooms, Kitchen and Activity Room Redevelopment involves:
• Demolishing the existing building and salvaging suitable building material;
• Constructing a new and extended building on a treated concrete slab;
• An internal fit-out, including a commercial kitchen, meeting room and camp kitchen;
• Installing solar panels for electricity, and installing gas cooktops and ovens.

Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said, “I have been pleased to have been able to assist and provide support to the Committee of Management with this grant application.

“As a regular attendee at the Tolmie Sports I really appreciate the importance of such community events and need for good facilities to run the events successfully. The improvements that this funding will enable will ensure that the Tolmie Sports and other local events will be even better in the future.”

Mr Ryan said the new building and its upgraded features and additional elements would offer increased functionality and provide the community with the versatile space it needed to host activities that enhanced community wellbeing and boosted local economic activity.

“The redeveloped building will provide a focal point for the Tolmie community to come together and participate in a range of activities and events,” Mr Ryan said.

Mr Ryan said the Victorian Government funding for the Tolmie Tea Rooms, Kitchen and Activity Room Redevelopment project would be provided to the Tolmie Sports Association though the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund.