Anticipation builds over new Korumburra Community Hub

WITH the Korumburra Community Hub development progressing well, it is expected that a range of local services and organisations will begin sharing the facility from early next year.

The new centre will accommodate library services, Milpara Community House, Korumburra Senior Citizens Club, and Korumburra and District Historical Society.

Future provision for council services has also been factored into the building’s design.

Multi-purpose meeting rooms and consulting rooms will feature in the new facility, with a modern kitchen enabling catering.

Wall space will be available for Rotary Art exhibitions and other displays.

With its roof recently completed, Korumburra Community Hub is on course to be finished by late this year, despite setbacks with the availability of materials and staffing challenges.

As well as her role as a councillor, Jenni Keerie is manager of Milpara Community House.

She looks forward to Milpara having access to modern fit-for-purpose facilities and expects improved efficiencies in relation to costs such as power.

The Community House has operated at its current location for about 30 years.

While excited about Milpara’s impending move, Jenni said there is still work to be done to prepare for the shift.

“It’s a great opportunity but it comes with its own challenges because our method of business operation needs to be revised,” Jenni said.

“We rely on generation of income (to provide our services), so we need to factor in how that’s going to work with the overarching governance model of the site itself.”

However, much thought and planning has already taken place, Jenni explained.

She arrived at the Community House in 2013 and said there had been discussion of an eventual move to a hub home a few years prior to that.

“There was a recommitment by the Committee of Governance to become one of the lead tenants at the Community Hub when it was time for it to be constructed,” Jenni said of what occurred after her arrival.

“So it’s something we’ve been working towards since 2013, actually taking steps, and we’ve been involved in trying to identify the spaces we could use, getting better training facilities and meeting room spaces for a broader range of opportunities for the community,” she said.

While the Community Hub’s building structure and wall framing are complete, there is plenty of work remaining ahead of the project’s expected pre-Christmas finish.

The remaining tasks include wall cladding, solar power system installation, plaster boarding, installation of windows, painting and floor finishes, along with metal work such as handrails.
Services fit-off and commissioning will be required.

Landscaping will also take place.