The Nabawa Recreation Centre will undergo much-needed upgrades following a major funding boost.
It is typically used as an emergency evacuation centre during times of crisis and severe weather, however during ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja in April 2021, the centre was unable to be used due to insufficient amenities.
Upgrades to the recreation centre will be fit for purpose, for use as both a recovery centre and sporting facility.
The existing basketball stadium section will remain, while a completely new amenities building, and male and female change rooms will replace the existing facility.
The centre was previously a two storey building which will now become a single storey facility, improving disability access.
Chapman Valley Shire chief executive officer Jamie Criddle said it was a priority to make the new build multifunctional.
"We're hoping that it will open up doors for other types of activities, the Chapman Valley Primary School is right next door and they've expressed interest in being able to use the facility once it's built," Mr Criddle said.
"We are a bit limited by where the basketball stadium is, which makes it an elongated building, but we should be able to cater for about 120 people in case of an emergency, and allows us to increase the capacity further onto the basketball court area if required."
The funding is pooled from the Federal government's Disaster Ready Fund, and the State government's Community Sporting and Recreational Facilities Fund which saw an allocation of about $900,000 each.
An additional $500,000 was granted from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services following the cyclone, and another $500,000 was contributed by the Shire.
Mr Criddle said the Shire was waiting for the final plans to be drafted, and following more community consultation, work on the new building would start as quickly as possible.
"We're hoping to start the project once this football season finishes, so probably late August, early September, and then hopefully have that completed by the start of the 2025 season," he said.
Mr Criddle said the new building meant residents could stay close to home in case of emergency, preventing a situation like the availability of emergency relief during the damaging cyclone.
"(The recreation centre) was massively lacking, a lot of our displaced residents had to go outside of the shire to reside safely, because there was no power and water for extended periods (during the cyclone)," he said.
"Having this facility would allow the community to remain in place with pets around.
"It'll be a massive boost whether it's cyclones, fire or floods, and a weight off the community's mind knowing that if something does happen in the future, they can remain local."
With the finer details still unconfirmed, Mr Criddle said the facility would use mains power but can switch over to solar panels and a battery, as well as a generator for back up in the event of an emergency.
The recreation centre is home to the Chapman Valley Football Club and the Chapman Valley and Northampton Cricket Clubs.
"A lot of towns revolve around their sporting clubs, and Chapman Valley is really big in that part," he said.
"People come to Nabawa every second week for games, it's a big opportunity to have that social interaction.
"So having a facility that can cater for that, can provide a massive sense of pride for the town and the area."
Perri Polson
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
