Families first as Townsville earns $5 million grant
The $5 million grant is announced on the site where the multi-purpose centre will be built. (Photo by Col Kingston)
The Salvation Army in Townsville is one step closer to building a much-needed multi-purpose centre, thanks to a $5 million government grant.
The grant is part of the Regional Development Fund Australia – a government project to fund community infrastructure projects in regional Australia.
The new centre, which will offer community and rehabilitation services, will be built on a 20-hectare site just 15 minutes from Townsville city centre. This new grant means that construction on the $12.9 million facility can hopefully start by the end of the year.
Townsville Recovery Services Centre Manager, Major David Twivey, says the new centre will offer a range of community services, with a strong focus on youth and families.
“We want to have a family home setting. We hope that will generate a feeling of a community working together, both inside and outside the facility. For that reason, we’ve modelled it as a community site rather than an institutional site,” said Major Twivey.
“This particular grant from the Regional Development Fund is for community activities, such as sport activities, vocational training, youth services, and disaster relief,” said Major Twivey.
“The government’s $5 million grant was focused on those areas and not the drug and alcohol area.”
The new centre will be able to accommodate 60 clients plus their family members in small homes, rather than dormitory-style dwellings.
A drug and alcohol Recovery Services Centre, built with the help of other funding sources, will also be available to both men and women.
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David and Beth , Go forward in service, Love You Both , Denis