Proserpine Community Centre acquires land for expansion

By the end of 2013, the two vacant blocks beside the Proserpine Museum will boast an expansive centre with a purpose for everyone in the community.

The Department of Community, Child Safety and Disabilities Services has played a major part in assisting the Proserpine Community Centre committee securing two Gardenia Street blocks which will eventually turn into the new purpose-built community centre.

This acquisition is a huge step for the centre which has been operating temporarily in the Old Ambulance Building on Chapman Street.

President of the Proserpine Community Centre Association Col Mengel said Whitsunday Regional Council has also played a significant role with the proposed new building.

“When complete, it will be the hub of many community services as well as visiting services from Airlie Beach, Mackay and Townsville who require a space,” Mr Mengel said.

The major project has been a long time in the making.

“I believe we have sufficient funding for the project,” he said.

“We are excited. A lot of hard work has been put in.”

The centre will boast around 15 rooms in the 500-700 square metres of building and is set to be complete by the end of next year.

“The facility will be suitable long term and will provide its needs for many years to come.”

“We are looking into a crystal ball.”

The community centre association is calling for potential clients facility users to attend a meeting today, Wednesday, July 11 to express their interests in the new centre.

The meeting will begin at 5.30pm and will be held at the Proserpine Community Centre at 9 Chapman Street.

The centre is also seeking expressions of interest in a project manager position which will involve managing the design, construction and commissioning of the centre.

Please register interest by Friday, July 20 to secretary, PO Box 678, Proserpine, Queensland 4800.

Big business is risking our social fabric

Mining companies are undermining the social fabric of society, particularly in the Whitsundays according to a counsellor who sees a growing number of break-ups and relationship difficulties between local couples each week.

In a dig at the diggers of coal in our hinterland, Anglicare’s John Langford said many men in the Whitsundays were lured away to work in the mines on the promise of big pay packets and lifestyle rosters.

“But at what cost to our society?” counsellor Langford asked … “what we are seeing now is just a fraction of what is going to come. Work related problems are not going to diminish, they are likely to expand over the coming years,” he said. 

Mr Langford works with Anglicare, a non-government counselling service which provides emergency assistance to individuals, couples, families and the community as a whole.

Recently, Mr Langford has been seeing a growing number of families experiencing relationship difficulties, and more often than not, one partner is working away.

“Despite the fact that we live in pretty good social circumstances, there are still many families and individuals whose lives and the quality of their life remains poor in the absence of assistance from organisations such as Anglicise.

Mr Langford who operates out of the Proserpine Community Centre in Chapman Street, seeing a full line up of clients every Thursday, says big business needs to get back to the basic moral beliefs and standards.

“They can do this by embracing a set of values that are conducive to health, happiness and harmony in the community. Yes it’s all very well to offer top wages for workers but at what price? If big business starts to look after their humans, they will be more productive and successful.

“Ultimately we all have to take responsibility for our own behaviours or we will inflict our own inadequacies upon those who deserve our love and attention the most, especially our families,” Mr Langford said.

Anglicare’s service is open to everyone in the community including those experiencing marriage breakdowns, child-related problems and difficulties finding adequate housing.

“There is no fee but a contribution if one can afford it. We have never had a fee and we don’t want people to feel they cannot afford us. We offer exactly the same quality of service regardless. But if those who can make a contribution to the service, it is greatly appreciated,” he said.

To find out more about the Anglicare service, call
4953 3444 or email angli_mw@bigpond.com.au