By Laura Michell
Whittlesea council is calling on state election candidates for Yan Yean to commit to funding a health and wellbeing hub in Mernda by 2022.
The proposed multi-storey hub would be built adjacent to Mernda train station and offer services such as maternal and child health, family support, child care, counselling, physiotherapy and community education.
It would also include a library, co-working spaces and a business incubator.
The council is seeking $755,000 to work with stakeholders to plan and design the hub, and funding to build it by 2022.
Mayor Kris Pavlidis said the population of Mernda and Doreen is expected to reach double its 2013 levels by 2038.
She said the area was experiencing a lag between the population boom and the provision of community services and facilities such as children’s services, youth support and family violence programs.
“Everyone, no matter their postcode, should be able to access the essential services they need to live a healthy and happy life,” Cr Pavlidis said. “The Mernda Health and Wellbeing hub will deliver significant social and economic benefits to our rapidly growing community.
“The hub would also provide more than 300 local jobs to an already skilled local workforce that currently faces nightmare commutes to travel outside the municipality for work.”
Brotherhood of St Laurence economic participation co-ordinator Rennie Ervinawati, who is based at Mernda’s Jindi Family and Community Centre, has backed the proposed hub.
Ms Ervinawati said there was “a lot of need” for a health and wellbeing hub in Mernda, adding that it would provide opportunities for residents.
The council is also calling on the candidates for Thomastown to commit to building Edgars Creek Primary School by 2020.
Cr Pavlidis said there was a large cohort of kindergarten children in Epping and Wollert who did not have a local primary school to go to.
“The schools around our north-eastern growth corridor already suffer from overcrowding, which impacts on education outcome for our children,” she said.
