6th October, 2021                   

 

Dear Members,

 

The Peregian Beach Community House Management Committee would like to bring our valued members up to date on what has been happening with regards it the New Community House. The Management Committee have been working very hard to put everything in place for the new Community House.

 

HOW DID IT START

When the design of the New Community House started nearly 4 years ago it was a long process with a lot of work at various times along the way.  When the PBCH, Noosa Council in conjunction with Patrick Ozmin started this process Mary Crawford on behalf of the Peregian Beach Community House Management Committee contacted Noosa Council’s Alan (Fox) Rogers to suggest that this should be a community project.  Mary put together the names emails addresses of all the Rufous Street Community Groups: Veggie Village, Tennis Club, North Peregian Bushcare, Peregian Beach Community Kindergarten, Woodland Drive group, Cr. Frank Wilkie along with Peregian Beach Community Association and sent them off to Alan (Fox) Rogers stating that she thought that this needed to be a community joint effort particularly with the green space and the external design of the new House.  This was meant with resistance initially but with Mary’s persistence Alan (Fox) Rogers finally agreed to include the surrounding Rufous Street Community Groups in the meetings.  This proved extremely successfully and after many discussions and many meetings the final external design was completed along with suggested green space ideas.  It was then up to the PBCH Management Committee and Noosa Council to work on the interior design of the building.  After many weeks working with Grant Calder of Flexure Architecture (engaged by Noosa Council) the interior design was agreed upon.  The PBCH Management Committee were very aware of the failings of the existing Community House and worked hard negotiating with Council to have these failings rectified in the new Community House.  The Committee also sort feedback from past and current hirers to gain their insights into the positive and negative aspects to work towards improvements (as much as possible) in the new House.  The Committee were aware that we needed to have up to date media technology in the new House and this was part of the requests submitted to Council in the planning stages of the new House.  Wiring has been installed in the new House to allow for this to be a possibility.

 

The new House will have 3 rooms to hire as well as 2 permanent leased rooms, which will be taken up by our existing Psychologist Shelley.  The 3 hire rooms comprise:

(1) Hall 1 – a large hall with a sprung wooden floor which will open out onto the covered area (similar to the current hall’s outlook (2) Hall 2 – a smaller room than Hall 1 with commercial grade lino flooring.  This room can be joined to Room 1 if required. This room will also feature a sink enabling it to be user friendly for art and craft activities by both children and adults alike. (3) Hall 3 – this room is the smallest of the 3 halls.  It will be set up for meetings and gatherings for profit and not for profit community groups.

We are now only months away from moving in the new Community House so the PBCH Management Committee it was time to let our members now some of the details and bring them up to date with what has been happening and what will soon to be happening as we prepare to move into the new House and to let you know that your Committee has been working very hard over the past 3 years and will continue to do so to ensure a smooth transition and that all our members will be able to enjoy the new space at the New House.

 

 

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH PLANNING OF THE HOUSE

 

1. Built in wiring so that the Community House could have the most up to date audio/visual technologies.

2. A faster internet service.  This was absolutely critical for the House moving forward.

3. The flooring of the House.  Council wanted to put in polished concrete floors and the Committee advised them that this just would not work for sound proofing.

4. Soundproof Rooms and insulation.  This was extremely important as the Committee did not want to be in a situation like at the existing House with 2 unusable rooms because there was no sound proofing or insulation.  This is still a little concerning for the Committee as the Council changed from the rooms being divided by a solid wall to now having soundproof panels.  Mary and Penni queried the Council regarding how effective the soundproofing would be with the panels and reminded Council that we cannot be in the situation that they we in now.  We were reassured by Council that it will be just as effective.

5. The Committee weeks working with Grant Calder of Flexure Architecture (engaged by Noosa Council) to decide the design of the interior even down to where little things like power points, drop down screens, social media outlets, types of windows and doors, flooring, lighting, store space in rooms, the layout and storage in the kitchen, the layout of the office and foyer. The layout of the Community/Meeting Room and the other 2 hire rooms. In essence everything small detail to the larger details were covered over those long meetings.

6. The House will have solar panels on the roof to help with the costs and there will be a lift from the downstairs into the House. There will be fully ducted air conditioning with each individual room able to control the air conditioning.

7. The office will be open plan with sliding glass windows.

 

 

WHAT THE PBCH COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DOING RECENTLY.

 

1. We have hired a Web Designer who will be designing a new website and Facebook Page for the new House.  We were able to secure a web designer who was able to gain a grant from the Federal Government to pay for over half of the cost What was going to be at $6000 website our Web Designer John Owen will charge us $1868.90. He will also provide ongoing support as part of his service, and he will help set up the office computer system as we need this up and running as soon as we move in.  He will also work with us in establishing a new and improved booking Calendar that will enable everyone to see our availability and what is on at the House.  This Calendar will be put up on our Facebook page and Website.

2.  We have asked Ric Jay to come and consult with us closer to moving in on what we will need in the area of audio/visual technologies.  He will provide us with valuable information regarding what we will need to purchase. The Committee at the start of this process were well aware that the new House needed up to date social media technologies to cover all mediums of audio/visual technologies.  Depending on our budget we may have to stagger some of this but will endeavour to get the most important items in first. We thank Ric for giving up his time to do this for us.

3. We have hired a Solicitor who works with not-for-profit incorporated associations to help us with anything moving forward with the House and to help us sort through the new amendments from the Office of Fair Trading Model Rules and to see what applies to the Community House which will then be taken to a Special Meeting for approval upon which the Solicitor will then submit our amendments to the Office of Fair Trading.

4. The Committee has worked very hard over the past 5/6 years to get the House into a good financial situation and with the new House this will prove to be very valuable.  It is the intention of the Committee to always make sure there is contingency money available for anything that might be needed going forward and for the ongoing running costs of the new House.

5. With the Council slowing reducing their mobile Library service.  Council approached the Committee to ask if they would place a mobile library kiosk at the House.  This will be in the foyer of the new House, and it will be user friendly but if users are having difficulties accessing the kiosk, then Tania our Administration officer will help them. This service will be available to access when the House is open.  Noosa Council will maintain the kiosk including the rotations and supply of books.

6. Council Services. Noosa Council has approached the Committee with the view of running some of their Council Community Services at the House as they do at in some other community halls in the shire.  The Committee is in the process of working with Council on a day/s and time that would be available to run these.  A decision on that will be made closer to the time as the day will depend on what regular hirers and new hirers have booked and what room will be available.  The Committee is committed to making sure a space is available to them as they see this also as a valuable community service.

7. The downstairs shower and toilet that will open during the day and this will be cleaned, opened, and closed by Noosa Council. After hours the Veggie Village, Tennis Club and PB Kindy will have a code so they can use to access this facility.

8.  In preparation for the new House the Committee put together a comprehensive list of what will be needed in the House. Quotes were obtained and now we are in the process of beginning to order these items. These will include everything from a Fridge, Stove, Microwave, dishwasher, urn, chairs, and table’s right down to new tablecloths and kitchen homewares.  It is important that we can provide hirers who wish to run a function at the new House with everything they need.

9. The Committee will be installing CCTV cameras around the House and part of the Security for the new House.

10. Tania our Admin Officer is starting to get calls for hirers wanting to book a space in the new House.  We feel as we get closer to opening times these requests will increase which is why it is important for us to make sure we have the Calendar of all the rooms available for them to access.

11.  It is the intention of the PBCH Management to hold social gatherings for our members periodically during the year once we have moved into the new House.  This will give our members an opportunity to enjoy their new Community House.

12. Moving in Date.  At this stage Noosa Council have not given the Committee a move in date. The Project Manager indicated that it would to be towards the end of the year but that the PBCH Committee would be notified well before the move in date because of hold ups from suppliers due to the current demand.  We have also been given reassurances by Council that we will be granted plenty of notice and time to undertake the move. Council feels that realistically it will be the end of the end of the year or early in the New Year.

13. New Committee Members. The Committee is pleased to announce they have secured another Management Committee member who will be joining Committee and who will be voted on at our next meeting.  He will bring valuable expertise to our committee. We are also confident that we have secured another Committee Member who will also hopefully be joining the Committee at the same meeting. These new Committee members will be announced in due course.

 

 

The Committee is committed to making sure the new House, like the current House has a balance between business and community along with working with Noosa Council to help them provide their services.  We need our paid hirers to cover the running costs of the House but as importantly we need a place for our community.  The Community/Meeting room will have a covered deck outside the room which will be a space for groups to have their morning tea etc. Of course, community groups can also use the other 2 hire rooms if they are available.

 

The Committee will give further updates some time to time and this will be done through the monthly newsletter as a Members Update. This Member Update will also be available on our Website.

 

 

Kind regards

PBCH Management Committee

 

 


Work starts on Peregian Beach Community House

 

Civil works for the Rufous St Community House at Peregian Beach are underway for the construction of the $3 million facility.

 

Contractor Kane Constructions has earmarked a completion date of late this year for the multi-use facility.

 

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart said the legacy project would be a valuable addition to the Peregian Beach community and is part of over a $10 million investment into the Rufous Street precinct.

 

“It will be a facility that many different groups across the shire will enjoy and also help foster connections within the community,” she said.

 

Cr Stewart and Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O'Brien today inspected the progress of civil works.

 

Mr O’Brien said the Coalition Government committed $2,550,179 towards Stage 3 of the Rufous Street Masterplan through the Building Better Regions Fund.

 

“The Rufous Street Community House is a landmark project that will provide world-class facilities to meet the needs of its growing community,” Mr O’Brien said.

 

“This vibrant space will build on Noosa’s reputation as a centre for innovation, creativity and technology, attracting new businesses and diversifying the local economy.

 

“It will also have an immediate benefit to employment, by involving approximately 300 staff throughout the supply and construction process, with a large number of workers expected to be local residents."

 

Kane Constructions Regional Manager Mark Grimsey said workers are excited to be part of such a significant piece of community infrastructure.

 

“We really enjoy delivering quality buildings that have such a strong connection to the community,” he said.

 

The new community house design has been developed in conjunction with Bark Design Architects, the Peregian Beach Community House Association and other stakeholders. 

Association President John Hare said excitement is building. 

"The facility will provide greater flexibility in meeting the demand for hiring space and we hope it will become a central focus of Peregian Beach," he said.

 

Rufous Street stage three comprises a Community House with an increased number of hire/meeting rooms complemented by a greenspace of 400m2, with sculptured gardens, a play area, winding footpaths and grassed areas. 

Cr Stewart said once the Community House is completed, work would then start on the expansion of the Peregian Digital Hub into the existing Community House facility.

 "The Digital Hub growth has been fantastic and this expansion and further activation of the site provides more opportunities to foster the digital economy in Noosa," she said.

"The project is delivering local jobs for a local landmark facility.

"It's so exciting for our shire and another clear example of what we can achieve in collaboration with the community and the Australian Government," Cr Stewart said. 

 

For further information, contact Ken Furdek 0448807068

 


WORK BEGINS ON NEW COMMUNITY HOUSE!

 

Work begins on the new community house!

 

Residents will have noticed some activity around the Rufous Street precinct. Fencing has been erected around the construction site and demountables moved into position.

 

We are now entering the construction phase with anticipated completion by the end of 2021. Civil works will take place in March and April (considerable truck activity, excavators, etc) with construction from April to July. Fit out will take place from July through to October.

 

 

Key stakeholders met with the newly appointed construction company, Kane Construction, on Monday 8 March.

 

 Photo: John Hare (President, PBCH), Matthew Cheng (Project Manager, Kane Construction) and Jamie McKinless (Site Manager, Kane Construction).

 

Some of the key issues discussed at the meeting included:

 

        All Kane contractor parking will be on site within Kane Compounds

       Community Updates will be posted by Kane Construction on a Community Noticeboard – this should be erected this week

        In addition, Noosa Council project updates will be posted on the PBCH website

 

Construction Noise & Working Hours

        No works shall be undertaken outside the Council approved hours of operation.

        Mon- Friday 7:00am-6:00pm

        Saturday- 7:00am-4:00pm

 

Dust

        Vehicle speeds on any unsealed areas at site shall not exceed 10 km/hr.

        Dust suppression and watering down will be adopted during excavation works as required.

        Spoil stockpiles will be protected with hessian and silt fences at base of stockpiles.

        Rock and rumble grids to capture mud at entry/exit points.

 

Erosion and Sediment Control

        Silt fences, on site swales for water diversion, silt socks to pits.

        Treat water on site before discharging into stormwater.

 

All Incidents to be reported to Kane Management and or applicable external Authorities/Contacts:

        Site Manager -0412 897 896 – Jamie McKinless

        Project Manager-0401 819 503 – Matt Cheng

        Contract Administrator-0412 504 593 – Chris Robinson

        Health and Safety Rep – 0428502076 – Graham Thorton

        Kane Head Office- 07 5443 9678

 

If you have any general queries or enquiries, contact Tania in the office in the first instance and we will endeavour to answer your questions.

 

We are all very excited that the project is underway!

 

 

8 March 2021



WORK BEGIN ON THE NEW PEREGIAN BEACH COMMUNITY HOUSE !!


Great News!!!

Construction is set to begin on the new Peregian Beach Community House . The new design features more hire and meeting rooms, allowing greater flexibility in meeting community demand for hiring space. Surrounding it will be a vast greenspace with sculptured gardens a playground, winding footpaths and grassed area for the community to enjoy.

Once the new Community HOuse operating, the existing Community House will be refurbished into an extension of the Peregian Digital Hub. 

Congratulations to Kane Constructions (QLD) who were awarded the contract at Council meeting this week. 


Latest update from Noosa Council on the New Community House !