Community
24 March, 2023
New $2.85m centre to bring people together
A NEW $2.85 million purpose-built neighbourhood centre is due to open at Manunda next year.
The current Birch St Community Hub has outgrown the demand for services and supports and will be demolished to be replaced by a new building.
The hub is operated by UnitingCare and service manager Tara Nutter said all involved were “excited” to be replacing the out-of-date double storey home which had been modified to meet its needs.
She said UnitingCare and the staff had been involved in the design process of the new structure.
“It will be a purpose-built double-storey building which will allow us to grow and serve the community,” Ms Nutter said.
Seven staff work at the hub which provided three main programs: the community hub, family support and child, adolescent and family counselling.
She said the hub also looked after the Indigenous and linguistically-diverse communities with 500 engagements a week.
The hub operated two free multi-cultural play groups each week, a weekly pantry with fresh produce, bakery and frozen meals provided via OzHarvest, Woolworths Earlville and the Red Cross.
“Anybody in the community can access our services,” Ms Nutter said.
She said the service would be relocating nearby mid-year until the new centre opened in 2024 with a location to be confirmed.
Design tenders have opened and construction work is expected to begin in July, with the new centre anticipated to be completed and delivering services early next year. It is expected 10 people will work on the building site.
A tender for the design of the new centre can be submitted via QTenders - qtenders.epw.qld.gov.au.
Communities and Housing Minister Enoch said “this is an exciting new development for the Manunda community, ensuring that the Birch Street Community Hub can continue to deliver the services and supports local people need”.
“The replacement of the Birch Street Community Hub forms part of our commitment under the Communities 2032 strategy to build new neighbourhood and community centres and upgrade existing centres across the state,” she said.
Cairns MP Michael Healy said it was “another fantastic boost for the Manunda community, following a record uplift in operational funding for the community hub in 2022-23 to more than $238,000,” he said.
