Eden Community Access Centre is set to sign a new three year lease with Bega Valley Shire Council, at the same time adding additional floor space as part of Council’s planned enhancement of the Eden Gateway building in Mitchell Street.
Council resolved to renew the lease at its meeting on 6 October with the upgrade of the Eden Library, located in the Gateway Centre, to be prioritised as a key facility to support community and economic recovery in the Bega Valley shire.
ECAC manager Carina Severs says the Access Centre has been in discussions with Council since 2020 with the aim of expanding its physical footprint. Now a new lease to be signed in November, incorporating extra floor space, gives greater certainty and opportunities for growth.
“Our operations are growing as we take on new services and add to the projects and programs we are managing. To sustain this expansion we need more room,” Ms Severs said.
We now have several significant community projects and auspiced programs coordinated through the Centre including the Disaster Preparedness Project, the Hospitality Training Hub and the Eden Mountain Bike Hub. On top of that we continue to identify services to meet community need. Those services require a base to operate from and that’s the role of the Access Centre.”
“We are really pleased with the progress and grateful Council shares our vision for the future of the Gateway centre as a critical base for enhancing the social and cultural life of the community.
“ECAC’s mission is to unlock the potential of community and develop local solutions to local problems, and we now have a very clear pathway and platform for achieving that.”
The ECAC business model is based on growing its business services, business administration and support, a business development and incubation hub and training and education programs.
Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick says the upgrade of the Eden Library to include shared community spaces and co-located services is consistent with Council’s vision for library services.
“ECAC’s occupation of office space within the Centre will enable a range of potential social benefits for the community of Eden,” Cr Fitzpatrick said.
“The enhancement of the Centre as a community hub and library will provide inclusive community spaces that will be utilised by people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities across the Shire.”
“The next steps are for concept plans to be drawn up and the scope of the project to be finalised.”
For more information about the Community Hub project visit the project page on the Eden Community Access website at https://www.eden.nsw.au/community_hub/.
For more information contact Carina Severs at Eden Community Access Centre on admin@eden.nsw.au or phone 0264963970