Maitland City Council has approved a $3.6 million multi-purpose community centre for Gillieston Heights.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Councillors voted unanimously at a meeting this week to approve the development which will be built on land in Redwood Drive.
A report said the centre will cater for a wide variety of activities such as meetings, functions, sporting events, care facilities and workshops.
The centre is proposed to operate Sunday to Thursday between 8am and 10pm and Friday and Saturday between 8am and 12pm.
Cr Ben Whiting said the centre will fill a void in the local community and help provide a range of activities.
Cr Philip Penfold welcomed the development and said a community centre would have been a great facility for Gillieston Heights during the 2015 storm when the suburb became an island.
Council’s Development Assessment Coordinator Leanne Harris said the proposed centre will have the potential for a diverse range of uses however the development application has not outlined any specific uses at this stage.
The community centre has been designed with the flexibility to host both large and medium sized events and will include a commercial kitchen, storage rooms, furniture storage and an external deck.
The proposal also includes landscaping and car parking, Ms Harris said.
In a statement of environmental effects on council’s website, a report said the proposal is to accommodate services and the needs of the growing community.
This may involve a variety of activities, meetings, functions, sporting events, care facilities, and workshops.
Fairfax Media reported in 2013 that the suburb was identified as a priority for development in council’s Urban Settlement Strategy.
The Department of Education has also been monitoring the suburb’s growth purchasing 1.3 hectares of land adjacent to the school for a reported $1.6 million in 2010 to accommodate any future expansion requirements.
Fairfax Media also reported that a new $200 million residential development in Gillieston Heights was expected to become home to about 1000 people by 2018.
