Three Springs’ outdoor silo cinema redevelopment plan to go ahead after council approves more funding

The heartland of the Mid West is set to be home to the biggest movie screen in Australia after the local council agreed to use reserve funding to get the project over the line. The Shire of Three Springs voted last week to transfer funds from the completed and refurbished daycare centre reserve to put towards the silo projection fund. Lotterywest has funded most of what is needed, with a $132,000 grant, but Three Springs councillors gave the green light to fund the remaining $33,000 to support the project costs. The stunning backdrop to the projection will be the town’s towering silos. Shire president Chris Lane said the Shire was ecstatic that Lotterywest had granted the funds to buy the projector and was eager to begin the event planning. “We’re hoping to have one event this year, but as we’re new to the event management scene, we want to get it right,” she said. “I’m excited, rather than painting the silos we’ve chosen to do something different and changeable.” Cr Lane said besides screening films, the silos would project messages from the Shire and show road safety warnings for drivers, as well as bring tourism to the town, but it would not be used for business advertising. “It will be a great evening attraction and something that will attract people up to the regions. There’s not many night time events so it will be for locals, other regions and tourists as well,” she said. Although Cr Lane said the projector project was still in the “embryonic stages”, but the Shire was hoping to have four to six major events each year, well under way by this time next year. With the Shire’s focus on holding extra events during the wildflower season, it aims to attract tourists to the town outside of the wildflower scene. “This will be the largest movie screen in Australia, places like Dubai and China hold the top largest,” she said. “We will start by hosting a smaller event — a test event — where we close off the street. It’s going to be great.” The redevelopment plan also includes repurposing the vacant Duffy’s Store — built in 1910 as a general store — into a visitor centre, museum and cafe. The building has been empty since 1990.