By Kirsty Ross
WYNDHAM councillors were looking into the future at a public meeting last night with a super $24.3 million Civic Centre redevelopment in mind.
The Civic Centre, on Princes Hwy, has been home to Wyndham City Council since it opened in 1976.
A new customer service desk, a rear extension, refurbishment and more office space and meeting rooms are on the drawing board.
The development features two major projects – to build meeting rooms councillors and the community will share; and to redevelop and extend the existing Civic Centre.
Both projects will be completed within the 2008/2009 financial year.
The Wyndham Community Facility will cost $8.7 million and buidling is expected to begin in mid-2007.
The $15.6 million Civic Centre redevelopment will provide additional office space.
It is expected to house 416 staff members by the year 2025, compared with 231 working there today.
Cr Bourke said Wyndham’s population was 30,000 when the centre first opened.
Today there are 119,000 residents.
“Wyndham Council is committed to providing long-term solutions to issues relating to the rapid growth of the city,” Cr Bourke said.
“Our residents should have access to adequate facilities to lodge a planning permit application, enrol their child in kindergarten and register their dogs all at the one location.”
But Wyndham resident Lori McLean believed the money could be better spent.
“The community needs a lot of other things before a civic centre redevelopment,” she said.
“I just think that at this stage, when parking in the CBD is so bad – the money could be spent elsewhere.”
Ms McLean said other community centres in Wyndham were not being used to their capacity, so there wasn’t a need for more.
“We should be looking at our community needs like moving through the city, parking, and advocating for more state government funding for roads before we start building castles,” she said.
Ms McLean wondered whether the council would be getting a loan for the work or would there be a rate rise to pay for the $24.3 million redevelopment.
Since 2000, Wyndham councillors had spent almost $200 million on capital works across the municipality.
