Community & Business
3 July, 2026
Group progressing new community building
A WORKING group of local Malanda representatives has met four times over the last few months to sift through the volume of information and suggestions provided by the community for a new multipurpose building.
The group – made up of representatives from the Malanda Show Society, Malanda Junior Rugby League Club, Malanda Chamber of Commerce, Choorechillum Aboriginal Corporation and two State schools – has also begun the process of determining the best site location and an initial floor plan for the new facility.
The information being used by the group to make its decisions comes from a community survey undertaken by Tablelands Regional Council late last year.
The survey sought the community’s views and ideas for what a future “fit-for-purpose” community facility for Malanda and the district might look like, and how it might meet the current needs of the township and the future needs of coming generations.
Around 360 responses were received from a broad cross-section of the community, from teens through to retirees. Respondents listed a clear desire for an events and exhibition space, as well as modern meeting rooms and a dedicated Place of Refuge in the event of emergencies.
Now, the working group is meeting with project specialist APEC Projects to begin working through the information and suggestions provided. Input has also been provided by the Malanda Theatre Company, Malanda Girl Guides and Malanda RSL Sub-branch.
Following council’s endorsement of the recommended location of the new multipurpose facility within the Malanda Showgrounds site in May, the planning process now moves to the final stages of concept design with the working group over the coming months.
“This positive next stage of the planning process will consider how to reflect and pay tribute to Malanda’s unique history by acknowledging pioneering families and the incredibly rich First Nations story, while looking to the future,” a council spokesperson said.
“Salvageable material from the old Patrick English Pavilion will also be considered as part of the building design process.”
The wider Malanda community will be invited to provide feedback on the new facility design concepts before the project progresses to final detailed designs.
