New Community Hub for Wakefield

Plans are progressing for a new community hub for Wakefield, but a few decisions need to be made before we start the design process.

The hub will provide a new indoor multi-use community facility which will replace the aging, earthquake prone Wakefield Community Hall.

How much will it cost?

The budget is around $11 million, with $6.4m coming from Reserve Financial Contributions, community co-funding of $2.5m, and the remaining $2.1m from rates.

What could it feature?

Intentions at this stage include community facilities like room for indoor ball sports in a multi-functional space, as well as a kitchen, meeting rooms, toilets and changing rooms, however the design stage is still further down the track.

Decisions to be made - which site is preferred?

The first decision is where will it be sited? There are two options, each with its own pros and cons.

Potential site option one

The first suggested site is Clifford Road, near the tennis courts and adjacent to the recreation grounds.

Pros and cons

On the plus side, this is within a very large area with plenty of scope for future development, though it has some areas which are potentially flood prone, and the access would ideally be from the State Highway.

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Potential site option two

Site two is 52 Edward Street, next to Wakefield School. Owners of the property have approached us to discuss future development opportunities.

Pros and cons

The positives with this site are that it is centrally located in the village and has access to Faulkner Bush Reserve, and the recently upgraded playground at the rear. But the site is smaller than option one, though it will allow for some future development.

Click images to enlarge

What does a 1223m2 building look like in terms of scale?

The Wakefield Village Hall is 466m2. The proposed building is more than two and a half times the size of the existing Wakefield Village Hall. To give a better idea we've created some images to show what the building's footprint could look like on each site.

Click the images to enlarge

Another perspective

To give you a better perspective we've created a picture of what the footprint of the main building at the Moutere Hills Community Centre would look like overlayed on the proposed Wakefield Community Hub's option two floor area.

Click on the images to enlarge

How can you help?

We would like to hear which site you prefer and why by filling out an online post-it note below.

This feedback, along with other analyses, will feed into the final report for Elected Members to inform their decision-making.