General News
15 January, 2025
Boulia mayor thrilled after council awarded $10m for community hub
Boulia Shire Council’s current facilities are struggling to meet the town's demands.
Boulia mayor Rick Britton says there was a lot of emotion felt by council staff when the federal government announced it had allocated $10.2 million under its Growing Regions Program for the town to construct its long-mooted community hub facility.
The hub is described as a “one-stop shop” with primary council services, including the post office, library and administration, set to be all under one roof.
The hub will replace the current council building, which is almost 70 years old.
“We have been trying different avenues to get funding for this project since 2020 – so to finally secure the money is a very big deal for us,” Cr Britton said.
“Our council staff have been working really hard on this – from getting assistance from Griffith University students to design the plans, to researching all the funding streams it might qualify for – it has been a hard-won effort to get this project off the ground.
“When we got the call to say it was going ahead – there were some real emotions felt among the staff.
“Councils need to look to the future, and we are trying to build something for the next generations.”
Cr Britton said the single facility – which will also include additional meeting and conference rooms to host a range of Outback gatherings – would also assist council with staffing and technology needs.
“If you have a staff member who is on holidays, or absent for any reason, we can move staff around within the same building to fill those needs,” he said.
“It also means we can focus on getting Bluetooth connectivity for council’s facilities all in the same location.”
With the Outback Way highway connecting Boulia with Western Australia via Alice Springs set to be sealed in less than a decade, Cr Britton said completing the community hub was an important strategic pillar to ensure the council is prepared for the expected 50 per cent increase in traffic journeying through the town.
Cr Britton said he expected to see the facility completed within the next two years and would next like to see the current library transformed into a childcare centre.
