CRANBOURNE’S old Post Office will undergo major renovations to make way for Windemere Child and Family Services.
Casey Council has agreed to lease two vacant rooms in the Sladen Street building to the welfare organisation to conduct the Communities for Children program.
Windemere was selected as one of 45 agencies throughout Australia to receive Family and Community Services Federal funding to enhance opportunities for disadvantaged Cranbourne residents.
Councillors initially were reluctant to grant a licence for the old Post Office, claiming the centre was at capacity and could not accommodate another service.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler called for council officers to investigate how extra parking could be created to help alleviate the traffic chaos in the area.
Council officers, at last week’s council meeting, said they planned to convert a disused storage room into unisex toilets to allow the demolition of an outside toilet block.
They said this would make room for a further two informal car spaces behind the old Post Office and six car spaces on the left-hand side of the access driveway from Sladen Street.
Total cost of the upgrade is estimated at $30,500 and will be referred to council’s 2005-06 mid-year budget review.
Windemere Deputy CEO Bryan Sheridan said the move to the old Post Office was fantastic news for the organisation and would not affect existing users.
“The Federal Government determined 45 sites throughout Australia that could benefit from funding and Cranbourne was the last of 10 Victorian sites selected,” he said.