Work has commenced on the $1.2 million Wallan Community Services Hub, which will provide access to community services and programs with a focus on early intervention and prevention.
The former childcare centre at 42/80 Bentinck Street, Wallan, will be transformed into an integrated community services hub, supporting the anchor service, the Goulburn Region Orange Door Access Point.
The Orange Door Access Point will bring together key community service organisations that specifically respond to family violence issues including Nexus Primary Health, Family Care, Primary Care Connections and Rumbalara along with Family Safety Victoria.
Mitchell Shire has the 10th highest rate of family violence incidents for a municipality in Victoria – twice the rate compared to the state average.
The project will deliver a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Family Violence – to establish a network of support and safety hubs, which provide a new way for those experiencing family violence and families who need assistance with the care of children.
Consulting rooms, a conference room and separate meeting spaces will be included in the hub for flexible early intervention and prevention for those experiencing family violence and child well-being issues.
The hub is expected to open to the community later this year.
The project is jointly funded by the State Government, which provided $850,000 through the Growing Suburbs Fund, and a Mitchell Shire Council contribution of $354,000.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson said services such as the hub were important to break the cycle of harm for new and emerging communities in growth areas that often experienced vulnerability and disconnection, isolation from family and friends, financial stress and limited access to services.
“This is a great example of what we can achieve when we work together with our partners,” she said.
Sadly this photo was taken where I worked for over 9 years, educating and caring for children of the local community at “Killara Children’s Centre”. I finished work on Friday 11th Oct, 2019. The next day (Saturday) I woke up to an email informing me that I no longer had a job working at Killara. The centre went into liquidation.
It still hurts that we were forgotten and to see the environment we worked in previously (we painted those coloured poles ourselves) still hurts many of us.
Just wanted to share from the previous tenants