Added benefit from Gunnedah PCYC role as Disaster and Emergency Centre

A $1.54 million refurbishment planned for Gunnedah PCYC has been described as a “game-changer” for the local community.

The Australian government last week announced the venue will receive a $742,204 grant to upgrade its facilities to serve as a disaster and emergency evacuation centre. Additional funding will be provided by the NSW government and a contribution from the PCYC.

Gunnedah PCYC centre and club manager Jess Blair said the upgrade will be a huge boost for many community activities and PCYC programs which also operate from the facility.

“PCYC is a charity organisation so this has a massive benefit for us to meet the needs of the community on a number of different levels,” Ms Blair said.

“It’s game-changing for Gunnedah PCYC.

“It feels like a massive win not just for PCYC but the whole community.”

The refurbishments will focus on accessibility and compliance infrastructure enhancements including new entry and accessibility changes, new recreation room, toilets and kitchen, among other changes.

The development has been almost 60 years in the making and will be one of the first major upgrades for Gunnedah PCYC since its construction.

“This facility has not had a make over almost since it was built,” Ms Blair said.

The project is being co-funded under the Australian government’s Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) – an initiative for disaster resilience and risk reduction.

Ms Blair said the funding to enhance facilities followed an audit last year which identified Gunnedah PCYC as the ideal venue to host a disaster and emergency centre.

“There’s lot of opportunity, this site has such great bones – it just needs that little of capital money to put into it that can really enhance it for the community,” she said.

The PCYC’s role as an emergency centre received an unplanned trial last year when it was activated for evacuees from the Duck Creek Pilliga Forest bushfire in December.

It served a similar role during the flood emergency in Gunnedah about 12 months prior.

“We wanted to support the community,” Ms Blair said.

“So we put on extra activities for those affected by the floods, we opened the youth hub, allowed people to use the showers, make meals in the kitchen … it was a natural progression for us.

“We’re lucky with the facilities we can use them for a number of different purposes.”

Some initial site plans have already been developed and interruptions will be kept to a minimum during construction.

“Everyone at PCYC is keen to get this started,” Ms Blair said.

“We will have to do it in a staged process so the site is not shut down because it’s important we are still able perform our role in the community.”

The PCYC thanked the local emergency management committee and the many other community organisations for their continued support and input into the grant application process.