Councillor Jenny Green, Mayor Rhys Williams, Dawesville MLA Lisa Munday, CEO Mark Newman and Deputy Mayor Caroline Knight at the Dawesville Community Centre site.
Dawesville, a locality expected to double in size over the next decade, will be home to a new multi-purpose community centre in the coming years, with the Member for Dawesville officially presenting the City of Mandurah with Lotterywest funding to make this long-awaited project a reality.
The $2.65million Lotterywest grant, together with the $3million State Government election commitment as part of the McGowan Government’s $165million cash contributions for WA community and sport infrastructure projects, mean the project is fully funded allowing the City to start its detailed planning to create a functional facility for the local community.
Mayor Rhys Williams said the Dawesville Community Centre was a project many years in the making, with the local community and the City of Mandurah working together to see it come to life.
“Dawesville has experienced significant growth over the last 15 years, leading to increased demand for social infrastructure, community facilities and services – in fact, it’s projected that the current population will double to 15,000 by 2036,” Mayor Williams said.
“As the population has continued to grow, the community identified the need for a local facility that can support residents of all ages and abilities to come together, to access activities and networks, ensuring this community reaches its potential.
“Council is very grateful that the State Government, through its significant funding commitments, has recognised the importance of this Centre to the rapidly growing Dawesville community, ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the local people. The plans for this state-of-the-art community centre have been developed with the community for the community – a process which has been vital in creating something that will meet the needs of those people who will rely on the support and services provided via this centre for years to come,” Mayor Williams said.
The Member for Dawesville, Lisa Munday MLA, said the Dawesville community was continuing to grow and thrive with new housing estates bringing a mix of people – from families with young children to seniors looking to retire and enjoy the beautiful natural environment.
“A purpose-built community centre will help to deliver the services and activities that these diverse groups need but currently have to travel into central Mandurah to get,” Ms Munday said.
“The $2.65million Lotterywest grant, together with the $3million McGowan Government election commitment, means the project is fully funded allowing the City to start its detailed planning to create a functional facility for the local community.
“Importantly, not only will this vital Centre support the local community for years to come, this project will also create around 17 local jobs during construction, and many more across the community and social services industry once constructed.”
By supporting projects like these, Lotterywest is helping to build a better WA together with local communities and deliver on a local community priority.
The Dawesville area has the second highest percentage of school age children in the Mandurah LGA, and is forecast to have the highest growth across most age groups, highlighting the need to ensure services and activities for all ages are available south of Mandurah.
The Centre will include a large community hall; informal recreation spaces; flexible spaces for outreach services; spaces for young people and families to enjoy including breakout areas, and a big kitchen and café area.
