Making plans to spend money upgrading facilities is a good indicator of how successfully a business is navigating through the COVID pandemic.
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That's just what Symbio Wildlife Park is doing - they have a development application lodged with Wollongong City Council to build a new entry area which will include a cafe and office space upstairs.
"It's been about improving the entry and exit experience for people," Symbio managing director Matthew Radnidge said.
"Then whilst we were already building a facility that was going to house the food and beverage it just made a lot of sense to put a second storey on at the same time and consolidate all of our little rabbit warren-type office set-ups."
Mr Radnidge agreed that investing money in the business was a "good sign" that Symbio had weathered the COVID storm.
"It's a sign that the business as a whole has been managed well over a long period of time to be able to weather a period like that," he said.
"As much as it was a little bit of a bump in the road over the past 12 months we certainly are fully committed to always continuing to improve.
"We had planned to undertake this last year but clearly that just wasn't the time or place to be doing that.
"But we've got good confidence that now is the right time."
The development application lodged with council stated the project related "directly to the need to enhance the visitor experience for a state significant tourism attraction and important regional economic driver".
"The proposal includes minor alterations to the existing site entry arrangement and the construction of a new café with upper floor administration facilities in between the existing amenities building and splash pad," the application stated.
An access ramp and the removal of three trees also formed part of the proposed development.
Should the development get the go-ahead from Wollongong council. Mr Radnidge was hopeful the park would remain open throughout the construction period.
"That's certainly the plan," he said.
"We would have to finish the food and beverage area and get that operational to then close off where the current food and beverage area is.
"That will be modified - it will be an enhanced entry area.
"So we've got a couple of stages that we have the dovetail together.
"We will certainly be very very conscious of not impacting anyone's experience on the day."
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
