Locals came together to celebrate the opening of the Cranbourne West Community Hub with an afternoon of fun family activities.
Located in Cranbourne West, the state-of-the-art, dual level $9.7 million community facility was officially opened on Saturday 17 April by City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff and Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards.
The facility boasts flexible and shared multi-use spaces for community members to connect, belong, learn and play.
Since opening to the public in January this year, it has already been bustling with community programs and activities and already has 18 regular hirers.
The hub includes inclusive spaces and services for all genders, ages, cultures and community groups to interact and connect, regardless of physical ability and identity.
This includes accessible bathrooms, a wellness and reflection space, ample break out spaces and free public WiFi.
A range of community spaces are also available for hire, including three multi-purpose halls, two meeting/training rooms, three consulting rooms, and a business zone providing affordable working and meeting settings, giving small home businesses, entrepreneurs, and remote workers the opportunity to work in a community setting.
The facility includes an energy efficient design, complete with a central courtyard and a tiered green terrace with underground water tanks, which capture rainfall and then assist in passively cooling the entire building.
Ms Duff acknowledged the importance of community hubs in meeting the needs of Casey’s growing community.
“The City of Casey is committed to developing new community facilities to keep up with our rapid population growth, particularly in growing suburbs such as Cranbourne West,” she said.
“This facility will support Council to run a variety of programs and services and allow other community organisations to increase their offerings across the city.”
The State Government contributed a total of $2.533 million dollars through the Growing Suburbs Fund to the construction of the hub, with the council also contributing $7.15 million.
Ms Richards said she was pleased to see the hub open and ready for use.
“It’s great to see the Growing Suburbs Fund continuing to deliver major investments into Cranbourne,” Ms Richards said.
“The programs and classes available at the hub – and the events it will host – make it a fantastic asset for our fast-growing community – giving everyone the chance to try new things, meet with friends and enjoy new opportunities.”
