A Bungendore community centre will be home to a new youth-centred space under the plan. Photo: Google Maps.
A regional council has committed funding to cover a new youth centre in Bungendore.
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council unanimously voted to push forward with plans for a youth centre at a recent meeting.
Councillor Ross Macdonald said the council should be doing more to provide activities and venues for the town’s kids.
He pointed to the skatepark and park, but said that wasn’t an option for many kids because of their ages or different interests.
“For a whole bunch of young Bungendorians, there’s not a lot to do … [When] I say youths, I’m talking about the high school-aged student.”
In a notice of motion, he called for QPRC to approve Category H grant finding to create a youth hub and activity space, with the Norah Starrs Community Centre put forward as its potential home.
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The site used to be known as the Bungendore Community Centre until its renaming earlier this year.
In a staff comment on the notice of motion, it was suggested the centre could be booked in the afternoons or evenings for larger groups (consisting of up to 30 people).
Cr Macdonald also told the meeting he had met with community groups to gague their interest in running programs, which fell outside QPRC’s “core interest”.
“[They said] they think it should not be a council-operated or should not be a council-led operation,” he said of the feedback.
“That is to say, ‘Thank you, council – we appreciate the real estate, but council’s actually not best placed to run this.”
He also said an international organisation had expressed interest in coming to the town but lacked a site for its operations.
QPRC has committed an unspecified funding amount towards the centre. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The staff comments also state that council-led initiatives across the Queanbeyan-Palerang region had to contend with available (and limited) grant funding.
“Staff are supportive of the community providing more events noting the requirements that are necessary, including for example Working with Vulnerable People registration,” the response states.
Councillor Katrina Willis asked council staff about other actions they could take to expand youth-centred offerings in Bungendore.
She suggested expanding library programs and increasing the size of the half-basketball court.
In response, a staff member said it would be dependent on things such as grant funding and staff capacity.
They also referred to an ongoing campaign by Bungendore residents for a new bike track that would add to the town’s recreational offerings.
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Cr Willis also urged her fellow councillors to consider what would happen if the community centre was overbooked and Bungendore youth potentially lost access to the centre.
“I understand the intent of this … My one concern is that Category H funding is not reliable.
“If someone else wants to book and pay to use the space … what happens then?”
During the discussion, Cr Morgan Broadbent said the new space could form part of further youth-centred engagement from QPRC.
“In the next budget cycle, we should probably think about how we might want to support more youth across the whole area, rather than just [through] one committee.”
The centre is expected to fully reopen later this year, according to the council’s webpage for the project.
