Northcliffe Interpretative and Cultural Centre (NICC)

The Northcliffe economy has been impacted upon as a result of restructuring in the timber industry. To assist in revitalising the economic and social decline of the district, the Northcliffe community has worked tirelessly to establish a major facility, the Northcliffe Business and Cultural Centre.

The organising group, the Northcliffe Interpretive and Cultural Centre Inc (NICC), hopes the Centre will inspire new people to go and live there, and encourage existing people to stay. The same group has the support of local residents, as evidenced at six public meetings and significant correspondence supporting the concept and offering contributions towards it.

Plans for occupancy of the Centre include re-location of the Telecentre (currently in a mill house 1.5kms out of town), the library and the tourist centre, as well as accommodating other tenants including CALM, commercial services including accountants, environmental consultant, health specialists and other visiting services, the environment centre, display of the George Gardner Rock Collection and an Aboriginal Artefacts collection, and visiting art, museum and film exhibitions.

SWDC has assisted the Northcliffe community's efforts by providing funding for concept and draft architecture plans. Commission staff have assisted NICC to submit an application for Collocation funding to the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. The group is also waiting the outcome of other grant applications.

SWDC staff are working closely with the South West Area Consultative Committee (SWACC) in finalising an application for Regional Assistance Program funding and are waiting the outcome of Regional Solutions funding from the (Commonwealth) Department of Transport and Regional Services. A further application for Rural Transaction Centre (RTC) funding and finalisation of a Business Plan are currently being undertaken in conjunction with the RTC Regional Coordinator and NICC.

The NICC building became the Northcliffe Information and Visitor Centre and was officially opened on 25th November 2007.