Push on for hub

By Bridget Cook
A CASEY Community Resource Centre, which would bring a range of information and support services together under one roof, is a priority for City of Casey.
With the state election less than two months away, Casey council has put together a list of priority projects it will advocate the State Government for.
With Casey’s current community support services unable to cope with the demand, the council believes the centre is a priority.
The centre would allow community support services to remain and extend their services in Casey, by providing a community resource hub to house and facilitate a range of information and support services including financial counselling services, legal advice, advocacy and civic activities.
The project is ‘shovel ready’, with the council having already bought land in Narre Warren for the centre and had designs prepared.
City of Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said the council was now seeking a funding commitment for the construction.
“The State Government has indicated its support for the project, and now Casey is seeking a funding commitment,” Mr Tyler said.
He said the Casey Community Resource Centre was needed in the community.
“The current services are bursting at the seams,” he said.
“The situation at the moment is unsustainable, with many community services already saying they will have to move out of Casey if the conditions don’t improve.
“It would be a one-stop community services hub for Casey’s most disadvantaged residents.”
Many community groups and businesses are working with the City of Casey to get the centre up and running.
The groups, including Casey North Community Information and Support Service, South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre and Casey Cardinia Legal Service, desperately need new accommodation to keep up with the growth in demand.
Other projects on the council’s advocacy priority list include road improvements, extended and enhanced bus services and additional car parking spaces at Narre Warren Railway Station.
Funding assistance to replace Casey’s streetlights with more energy efficient lamps and delivery of a vehicle crossing of the railway line at Aylmer Road in Lynbrook are also priorities.
City of Casey mayor Cr Lorraine Wreford said that advocating on the community’s behalf for the improvements, services or funds that Casey requires, and which are managed by the State Government or other parties, is a fundamental role of council.
“Over the next six weeks we will be putting a number of key projects on the agenda. Projects that if we receive a commitment to, will make a significant and lasting impact on the liveability of our city,” Cr Wreford said. “Our country-style infrastructure has not kept pace with our city-sized population and Casey residents are now missing out.”