Advertisment

General News

4 November, 2019

Community Hub officially begins

LAST Thursday marked a monumental day for the town of Mareeba as it saw the official turning of the sod for the Cedric Davies Community Hub.

By Rhys Thomas

Community Hub officially begins - feature photo

LAST Thursday marked a monumental day for the town of Mareeba as it saw the official turning of the sod for the Cedric Davies Community Hub.

Mareeba Shire Council Mayor Tom Gilmore, Minister for Government, Racing and Cultural Affairs Stirling Hinchcliffe and Member for Cook Cynthia Lui were in attendance, all three of whom spoke about the enormity of the project for the region.

Cr Gilmore said the Cedric Davies Community Hub is something the community should be extremely excited about.

“Every now and then, something will pop up that offers long-term potential for the growth and benefit of the community and this is one of them,” he said.

“We’re starting with the bowls club and library and when completed this community facility will be one that grows on its own accord.

“This multi-faceted gem is one that I’m confident the community will be proud of over the next 20-30 years.

“As a small rural council, we rely heavily on grants and subsidies to maintain and upgrade community facilities.

“We are so indebted to the Queensland Government for the funding to make this all possible.”

Minister Hinchcliffe echoed Cr Gilmore’s comments, noting that the benefits of the Community Hub would be felt well into the future.

“When it is completed, this will be a state-of-the-art facility housing community and training activities and events, outreach community services, a new library and undercover lawn bowls,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“On top of that, the council estimates that 44 jobs will be created or supported by these works, which is a fantastic result for the local economy and for Mareeba families.

“This is why the Queensland Government is proud to support this project through almost $1.1 million from the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program (LGGSP).

“I am particularly pleased that it is being named after former Mareeba Shire Chairman and councillor, the late Cedric Davies, and it is wonderful that his wife June and family are here today to share in this moment.”

Davies is a synonymous surname in Mareeba, and current Mareeba Shire Councillor Kevin Davies alluded to the enormous sense of pride he feels in having the Community Hub named after his father.

“It’s fantastic to see dad recognised in this fashion,” he said.

“He served on the Mareeba Shire Council for 21 years and played an integral role in a number of community projects and initiatives that are still utilised until this day.

“In addition to his work on Council, dad also was a key figure in Rotary and a number of sporting clubs within the community, so it’s great to see something named after him just like my grandfather was.”

The construction of the new Mareeba and Memorial Bowls Club site is scheduled to be completed by April or May of next year, while the library’s expected completion is towards the end of 2020.

Advertisment

Most Popular

1