I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Regional and Rural
Development, Jacinta Allan, in relation to the Port Fairy community centre.
The Port Fairy community centre is a $2.8 million project. I
had the pleasure in June this year of representing the Minister for Children and
Early Childhood Development in announcing the $500 000 grant for that community
centre, but on that occasion the money was specifically for the inclusion of a
children’s centre to be located within the community centre. It included the
relocation of the Port Fairy kindergarten to the centre, and the provision of an
additional 30 child-care places, as well as maternal and child health services,
immunisation and broader family services.
The Moyne shire has also contributed an enormous amount of
money, tipping more than $1.5 million into the project, and the community itself
has also been able to raise $16 000 so far, which is a substantial amount of
money for a relatively small community.
We now want to move to the next stage of community facilities,
specifically a multipurpose area for the community, associated storage,
reception and office space for community use and visiting professional support
services. If approved, the community centre will provide flexible, multi-use
facilities for community groups to meet, which is a much-needed facility
currently not present in Port Fairy. It will also provide a minimum of 50 hours
per week of community access to the multipurpose space.
Along with the funding announced earlier this year by the
Brumby Labor government, I believe the approval of this application put forward
by the Moyne Shire Council to the Small Towns Development Fund is imperative if
we are to have the objectives of the whole concept of the community centre up
and running. I therefore ask the minister to strongly consider supporting this
application submitted by the Moyne shire on behalf of the community members of
Port Fairy and the outlying district.