Michaela Meade
Creeds Farm Living and Learning Centre in Epping is a step closer to reopening its doors after Whittlesea council agreed to help fund structural repairs to the 10-year-old building.
The Snugburgh Way building is closed to the community after the neighbourhood house’s committee of management received engineering advice that the building was unsafe.
In a submission to council’s 2021-22 budget, Creeds committee of management president Christina DiPierdomenico said sections of external laminated timber columns and beams supporting the roof have deteriorated and needed to be replaced.
“The building is not safe for use until this is done,“ she said.
Ms DiPierdomenico said the total contract amount for the repairs was estimated to be $168,598, which was “beyond“ the centre’s financial capabilities.
She said the committee of management had been working with council staff since October 2020 to address the issue.
In the submission, Ms DiPierdomenico asked the council to contribute $100,000 towards the repairs and provided a qualified project manager.
A number of community groups and centre users, including Whittlesea Community Connections, Harvest Home Primary School and Khalsa Education Society Inc and Sikh Community Connections wrote letters of support for the submission, urging council to help fund the repairs.
At a council meeting earlier this month, council’s administrators agreed to the funding request, adding $150,000 to the budget for the project,
Creeds manager Max Sargent said the council providing the funding was great news for the centre and the wider community.
“We’re really pleased with all the support that councils given us on it,” Mr Sargent said.
“This means that we’ll be able to put much more of our focus on working with and supporting our community, rather than having to focus on looking for ways to fundraise, to try and fix the building.”
Mr Sargent said the funding was a welcome relief for the centre’s staff.
“Our programs are currently running out of council buildings around the area,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to having our groups and programs back at our centre.”
The centre has previously received grant funding from the state and federal governments to help with the project.
Mr Sargent said the combination of funding supports will “go a long way” in getting the repairs completed faster for the “important community resource“.
The centre is expecting to reopen its doors in early October.
