Diggers & Dealers set to have permanent home in Kalgoorlie-Boulder as city funds $3.5m pavilion

Australia’s premier mining conference will have a permanent home in Kalgoorlie-Boulder after the local government allocated $3.5 million to a multipurpose events pavilion in its latest annual budget. The Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum pavilion is typically transported from Perth to the outback city each year before it welcomes at least 2500 delegates for the event. City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor Glenn Wilson said the investment in a permanent pavilion was a testament to the city’s commitment to ensuring it remained an ideal host for the forum into the future. “The previous mayor John Bowler had discussions about having some permanency for Diggers and Dealers in the city, and it led to a community-driven pavilion that could be used all year round for our community,” he said. “Having a facility like this will allow us to hold our key events in an all-weather venue.” Mr Wilson said the project would be a “lasting legacy” for both residents and visitors. Diggers and Dealers logistics co-ordinator Gavin Everett said the new pavilion would make the forum set up smoother. “Logistically the costing of transporting the pavilion is huge so this is welcomed,” he said. “It will make the build much shorter, probably take weeks off the build, which takes us about five weeks usually. “It’s not just great for Diggers, it’s great for the community as well.” The project is currently set to be fully funded by the city but Mr Wilson said alternative funding opportunities were being explored. While the final design and a time frame have yet to be released, the outdoor events pavilion will be constructed in the Goldfields Arts Centre carpark.