Murwillumbah Community Centre reopens after major revamp

BY SARAH WATERS

The Murwillumbah Community Centre (MCC) has reopened its doors following the completion of a $1 million restoration project.

The Community Centre, located in Knox Park in Murwillumbah, was inundated by water during the February 2022 flood.

Seven hundred millimetres of water ravage the building internally, destroying meeting and consulting rooms, the reception and kitchen, plus structural walls, doors, windows and flooring.

All of the community centre’s services were impacted.

Funding from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund allowed restoration works to started in February 2023.

Tweed Shire Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Team worked closely with the Community

Centre’s manager Wendy Constantine to design a revamped facility made more resilient to floods and other natural disasters.

Its new features include waterproof coating in kitchens and bathrooms, stainless steel joinery and aluminium glass doors and skirtings and raised power points, data/phone lines and air conditioning.

Ms Constantine thanked the centre’s staff and volunteers for their commitment to the community since the floods.

“They have not only been flexible in their service delivery, but despite their own personal challenges, have worked tirelessly to ensure uninterrupted service to the community in a caring and compassionate way,” Ms Constantine said.

“We also thank Tweed Shire Council for putting us up at the Coolamon Centre while they renovated the Community Centre and are really thankful that they have designed the building to be more flood-proof going forward.

“All MCC staff and other services who typically work from the Community Centre are happy to be back working from this space, offering support to the community and having a bit of normality once again,” she said.

Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said the centre was now more sustainable and flood resilient.

“We were pleased to be able to temporarily rehome the Murwillumbah Community Centre over the past year so they could continue to offer their critical services, but it is fantastic to finally see

FATHER AND SON DIE IN TRAGIC MURDER/ SUICIDE - YAMBA

BY KATE COXALL

them return to their home again,” Ms Cherry said. “While it’s not practical to relocate the centre or make it completely flood-proof, floodresilient measures have been incorporated in the refurbishment to reduce the impact from any possible future floods we might experience.”

The Murwillumbah Community Centre offers a wide range of services to Tweed residents including emergency relief, financial and budget counselling, Indigenous family support, youth services, seniors support and welfare support. It also accommodates more than 30 outreach services for organisations from Lismore to Tweed Heads.

An investigation is still underway after the body of a man and a teenage boy were located inside a home at Yamba last week. About 1.10pm (Thursday 1 June 2023), police were called to a property on Kookaburra Circuit, Yamba, after reports two bodies had been found.

The bodies of 58-yearold man, Wayne Smith and his 15-year-old son, Noah were located inside the property, both suffering gunshot wounds. A crime scene was established which will be forensically examined.

The community has spoken out across social media, with neighbours saying “they kept to themselves, but were a lovely family, we are all in shock.”

Noah’s Rugby ClubThe Yamba Buccaneers came together on the weekend in a tribute to the 15 year old, and what some have described as “a tragic loss of life, that is impacting the wider Yamba/Clarence community.”

The players wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence.

Initial inquiries indicate the 58-year-old man was a licenced firearms holder and detectives have requested his licensing history from the NSW Firearms Registry.

While the investigation by officers from Coffs Clarence Police District is in its infancy, police don’t believe a third party was involved. NSW Police has a program to support first-responders on their force, who may be suffering from the effects of the tragic scene. A report will be prepared for the Coroner. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https:// nsw.crimestoppers.com. au. Information is treated in strict confidence.

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