MULTICULTURAL Development Australia (MDA) has been awarded the contract to run the new Redbank Plains Community Centre.
Ipswich City Council will be entering into a lease agreement with MDA for a period of three years with an option for a further three years.
City Management, Finance and Community Engagement Committee Chairperson Deputy Mayor Wayne Wendt said the community was looking forward to the completion of the new centre currently under construction at 180 School Road Redbank Plains.
“The centre is due to open in April this year, weather permitting.
“Council made a commitment to build a new community centre last financial year and allocated $850,000 towards the project.
“The Queensland Government contributed a further $1.02 million to the total cost of nearly $1.9 million,” Cr Wendt said.
Arts and Community Development Committee chairperson Cr Kylie Stoneman said council had already undertaken extensive surveys among residents in Redbank Plains and surrounding suburbs.
“This is about getting information first-hand from the community about their aspirations for the Community Centre. We received over 367 completed surveys.
“The centre will be run based on council’s Standard Operating Model for Council Community Centres adopted in July 2017,” Cr Stoneman said.
The stated aims of the council model included provision of a safe place for the delivery of social services, a place for a range of community groups to meet, build social networks, and enhance the community’s capacity, pride and resilience.
MDA’s CEO Kerrin Benson, said that the organisation is thrilled to have been awarded this contract.
“MDA has a long-standing history of promoting a welcoming, inclusive and multicultural Queensland and we are very excited at the opportunity to work with and alongside the Redbank Plains community and existing services in Ipswich to deliver this vision.
“MDA has considerable experience managing community facilities and our business model is built on strong partnerships. We will be investing our own resources to appoint a full-time Community Development Coordinator to establish the Redbank Plains Community Centre.
“We will take a flexible approach and introduce new programs and services based around on-going community feedback,” Kerrin Benson said.
