Funding for new community centre to help Atherton thrive

A new community centre for Atherton is a step closer to reality with the Palaszczuk Government delivering a $1.6 million funding commitment for Community Services Tablelands towards the proposed new Atherton Community Centre.

Minister for Communities Coralee O’Rourke today (17 July) announced the funding commitment while visiting the existing Atherton Community Centre and highlighted how the Queensland Government is assisting the project to secure Australian Government funding through the Building Better Regions Fund.

“We have committed $1.6 million to support Community Services Tablelands’ proposal,” Mrs O’Rourke said.

“But for this new centre to become a reality, we need Malcolm Turnbull and the Federal Government to match our funding dollar-for-dollar.

“This development is a rare opportunity and needs support from both levels of government to become a reality.”

The Palaszczuk Government has already provided Community Services Tablelands with a $250,000 grant to undertake full documented design, obtain all necessary planning approvals and secure land tenure.

“We recognise that this process has created an exceptional building design that will provide a much-needed service in the right location for local residents,” Mrs O’Rourke said.

“This project already has in place a Project Advisory Group (PAG) which has been instrumental in getting this initiative to this point.

“This has included the securing of land tenure from the Tablelands Regional Council, the coordination of a high-quality consultant team to develop full documented design, and coordinating the appropriate development approvals.”

The new community centre will have the goal of prevention of harm, which will allow service providers to have a much greater impact on proactive community development, linking in with other activities in the area such as the Atherton Library, skate park, tennis courts, scouts, girl guides, SES and fire and ambulance services.

Community Services Tablelands Chief Executive Officer John Russell said open public recreation space around the proposed new centre will create a focus for pro-social community activities.

“Ordinary citizens will be able to come together through programs of engagement run at the centre and be close to specialised counselling, education and support as and when they need it,” Mr Russell said.

“Engagement with a service will be quicker, less daunting and periods of hardship or trauma for families and children will be reduced.

“This project will bring together all the services provided by Community Services Tablelands, Tablelands Community Housing and Women’s Health Queensland in Atherton into a one stop shop.

“However, it will be a centre for all of the Atherton Community; it will have the space and visual exposure to create community events such as family fun days, music, theatre, and art in the park, International food and multi-cultural events, space for storytelling and yarning and community gardens.

“This facility will link into and extend the amenity of the precinct and we hope to work with our new neighbours the Atherton Library and Art Gallery, to create a focus for culture in Atherton and we will be able to attract more families and younger children into the precinct.”

The centre will also bring a greater range of opportunities for volunteering, engage with parents and divert children away from out of home care.

Mrs O’Rourke acknowledged Community Services Tablelands for their $350,000 funding commitment to the project.

“Our funding support for this project is another example of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to building thriving communities.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Benjamin Mulcahy 0419 562 389