$3m centrepiece

By Tania Martin
MONBULK’S long-awaited $3 million community centre will soon become the town’s hub.
Plans for the centre can now be drawn up after the State Government last week announced $600,000 funding for the project.
The current community centre on the corner of Moores Road and Main Street will be demolished to make way for the new centre.
Monbulk Primary School has chosen to build its new library in the centre and put its State Government allocation of $200,000 towards the project.
The school has put a further $300,000 of its own cash towards the centre, which will be located next to the school, while the Shire of Yarra Ranges made the largest contribution of $1.95 million and the State Government has put in a further $710,000.
Ray Yates, Monbulk Primary School principal, said the project started more than two years ago when the school received $200,000 from the State Government to build a new library.
However, Mr Yates felt the money could better be used in building a community centre.
The school, local community groups and the Shire of Yarra Ranges then joined together to develop a plan for the centre.
Minister for Victorian Communities John Thwaites said the new centre will have a shared school and public library, a pre-school, day group, maternal health and childcare services plus rooms for social support services and community groups.
He said the centre will provide activities for young and old.
Mr Thwaites said the centre was just another way the State Government was investing in the early years of life.
He said Monbulk is a young community with one in five people aged between five and 17 years of age compared with the metropolitan average of one in six for the same age.
Monbulk Opportunity Group president Mark Seamer said the building designs can now be made.
“We now have the opportunity to lay some definite and concrete plans down,” he said.
Monbulk MP James Merlino said the project was a terrific example of a community joining forces to provide solutions to local issues.
Chandler Ward councillor Graham Warren said the Shire of Yarra Ranges will now consult with the community on how they want the community centre to look.
“We can now move towards making this centre a reality,” he said.
Mr Merlino said work is expected to start in January 2007 and the centre should be open for business in February 2008.