The Balla Balla Community Centre (BBCC) will relocate to the existing Selandra Community Hub in Clyde North from January 2023, as works commence on the new Cranbourne community hospital.
In 2021, the Victorian Government announced plans to build a new community hospital in Cranbourne.
After a long search for an appropriate, accessible site, the Casey Complex was identified and purchased to start construction in 2022.
City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff PSM said she has been working in partnership with BBCC to identify their future home since the announcement by the Victorian Health Building Authority last year.
“We are excited by the opportunities this merge presents to a new and establishing community such as Selandra who will be able to thrive from the experience that BBCC can bring,“ Ms Duff said.
“Both centres will be working together to design a smooth transition and amalgamate the two organisations for the community, hirers and members.”
BBCC manager Maree Cullinan said programs and services currently offered will be expanded at Selandra.
“We’ll also incorporate the programs and services as best we can that are already running at Selandra, so really it’s an amalgamation of two into one for the community – they’re going to get a lot more available for them,“ Ms Cullinan said.
“This is a perfect fit that we can pretty much pick Balla Balla up and relocate it there, but also taking into account the importance that we’re going to be working with the Selandra community as well. We take that very seriously, to make sure we make everyone feel welcome and embraced, because it is their community centre at the end of the day.
“We’ve grown out of this building, so it’s come at a great time. After our 15 years here, we can now relocate where there is more space and provide more things for a growing community.“
Programs and services will continue to operate as normal for both centres for the remainder of 2022.
Following the merge, the Selandra Community Hub will be renamed to Balla Balla Community Centre.
For more information, visit casey.vic.gov.au/selandra-balla-balla-update