Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the opportunity to visit the community of Mount Barker in my electorate of O’Connor and meet with a dedicated group of volunteers who have spent the last five years coordinating the establishment of the Mount Barker Community Resource Centre.

The community resource centre is now nearing completion and it is a very impressive building indeed. When completed, the building will feature a library, a computer room, office space, a seminar room, a worship centre, a professional kitchen and a 200-seat auditorium for community functions, school events or private hire. The resource centre will also play host to a number of community services, including Centrelink, Foodbank, the YMCA, the Great Southern Aboriginal Corporation, counselling services and after-school homework classes.

The centre has been funded with much support from Lotterywest and the Royalties for Regions program and a very strong contribution from the Baptist Church, who have also volunteered considerable man-hours towards the project, including installing the fencing and brickwork for the building. I understand many contractors have also contributed labour and materials in kind towards construction, and many community members have volunteered their time to provide Mount Barker and the surrounding areas with an amazing resource for many years to come. This level of community support is indicative of many regional communities and it is always a pleasure to see them in action.

I was very pleased to take a tour of the facility and I look forward to visiting again when the building is officially opened later this year. The Mount Barker Community Resource Centre committee should be commended for the many hours they have contributed to establishing a facility that will be utilised and enjoyed by the whole community.