Mini-cultural exhibitions in the new centre will point to permanent and changing exhibitions and will complement traditional tourism brochures and touch-screen online information.

A changeover date of July 1 is proposed and Albury plans to defer extending the airport industrial park so that it can use $385,000 for the information centre instead.

Wodonga Council will have the option of using the services to be run by Albury from that date, a step that would mean Wodonga putting some cash in.

As well, there might be room for tourism-type tenants to offset the cost of the operation.

City staff say that it will cost about $450,000 to convert the historical station master’s house but after that the operations would cost $200,000 a year.

However, they say the changes mean spending an extra $450,000 this financial year and $275,000 in 2010-11, these figures being in addition to the $250,000 being paid this year to Destination Albury-Wodonga.

Irrespective of whether DAW continues to exist, Albury says longer-term strategies need to be mapped out, at least for the next three years.

It is prepared to undertake this if DAW folds and says it will be important to work with the new Murray regional group.

General manager Les Tomich and economic development officer Tracey Squire stress the importance of tourism, including festivals and other events to the local economy.

— HOWARD JONES