SETAC’s purchase of Port Cygnet Cannery aims to turn heritage site into hub for services, jobs and Indigenous enterprise

An Aboriginal community-controlled organisation in Tasmania says its purchase of the former Port Cygnet Cannery will create new opportunities for Indigenous enterprise, training and cultural tourism, while consolidating essential health and social services in a single, purpose-built precinct.

The South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC) has bought the historic site with plans to relocate its suite of services to the Cannery once renovations are complete. The SETAC, established in the late 1980s and operating for 35 years, intends to use the Cannery as its Huon Valley hub, bringing together programs spanning health, family support, disability services, youth programs and cultural initiatives.

Deputy CEO and Business Enterprise Manager Tracey Dillon said the decision was about building the right infrastructure for long-term community benefit. “It made sense that we would then have a brand new, purpose-built building that would suit our needs, not just continually adding to an existing heritage building,” she said.

The plans also include keeping hospitality at the site as a pathway into work. The Cannery’s café and restaurant (currently known as ‘The Kitchen’) is expected to offer hospitality training and employment. “It’s going to create more jobs for our mob,” Dillon said. “We will be able to then get the employment stats up because we’ve got some place for them to work.”

SETAC’s own announcement says the purchase was backed by members through a vote at its 2024 AGM and will “expand our services in a state-of-the-art facility” while creating “employment and training opportunities” and “a dedicated place to celebrate and share Aboriginal culture.”

The Cannery’s public site describes the purchase as “a new chapter” that will evolve under SETAC’s stewardship, “honouring its history while supporting cultural, social, and community initiatives into the future.”

Dillon said the vision extends to cultural tourism and an Indigenous culinary experience over time. “We’ve always talked about cultural tourism,” she said, adding: “We want to do that with food… we want to move to an Indigenous culinary experience.”

For many Tasmanian Aboriginal families, the project is also about visibility and recognition. Dillon described the acquisition as “a recognition of our cultural heritage”, saying: “People don’t believe that there’s still Tasmanian Aboriginal people in this country.”