Construction of the new Murwillumbah Community Centre in Knox Park is now scheduled to be finished in late October – weather permitting.
The building will include public meeting spaces, an indoor/outdoor area for playgroups, offices for community services and a youth centre.
Council’s Community Capacity Building Officer Jenni Funari said the new centre was intended to bring a lot of different services and programs together, to best serve the community.
“By locating services together, people who come to the centre will be able to find the right person to talk to, or any number of people, all in the same place,” Ms Funari said.
“For services, it means they can better understand the work that each other does and how they can work together to meet the needs of the people coming to the community centre.
“There is strong interest already from organisations we have been talking to over many years, in planning for the building and applying for grants.”
Not-for-profit community services who have already taken up tenancy offers include the Northern Rivers Community Legal Service, The Family Centre Community Projects, the Northern Rivers YWCA, Save the Children Australia and On Track Community Services.
In addition, St Joseph’s Youth Service and NORTEC’s Youth Pathways program will move into the youth space, offering programs, services and activities.
Funding for the $3.1 million project has come from all levels of government – Federal, State and Council – in what Ms Funari describes as a terrific demonstration of support and partnership building.
The youth space was made possible by support from Murwillumbah Lions Club, which has managed $250,000 bequeathed by a local resident to provide a dedicated youth space in Murwillumbah.
A few office spaces are still available in the building, either full-time or part-time, which can range from two days a week to a half a day a month.
Enquiries can be made to Wendy at the Murwillumbah Community Centre on (02) 6670 3003.
