Lord Mayor's column: Connections are key to community life

Neighbourhood and community centres play a vital role in our community when it comes to bringing people together.

They’re spaces where people can find vital services and activities and have a close to connection to the communities in which they are based.

This week I had the pleasure of opening the Connecting Communities Conference at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.

The two-day conference drew members of the Local Community Services Association and workers within the community sector from across Australia. The event provided an opportunity for those who often act as a conduit between local services, government agencies and other stakeholders to build stronger, connected communities to connect and learn from industry experts.

At Council, we know how important community facilities are to those who call our city and suburbs home.

We’ve more than 80 Council-owned community facilities across the Local Government area including Neighbourhood Centres, Senior Citizens Centres, childcare centres, libraries, community centres and community halls.

These spaces are used by a wide range of people from our community and are vital for community connection, and in fostering social cohesion, inclusion and wellbeing.

At Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre, for example, there is the café cart. This joint Federal and Local Government initiative provides employment opportunities for young people as well as food assistance.

The Kemblawarra Community Hall is licenced by the Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation that’s dedicated to supporting young Aboriginal People and connecting them to culture and heritage.

While the Warrawong Residents Forum, which is currently operating out of a Council-funded shopfront in Warrawong, provides a safe space to help with a wide variety of information, referrals and advocacy.

Plus, I’m a regular visitor to the Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre and can attest to the impact they have in supporting their local community. It was terrific to see the Centre’s manager Maria Di Carlo at the conference.

Council continues to invest in these valued community facilities. Right now, the Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library is under construction and due to be open to the public in the second half of 2027.

This centre will be a modern, high-quality hub that is designed to bring people together and support the needs of the growing communities in our southern suburbs.

It will expand access to library services, technology and essential community supports, while providing safe and engaging spaces for children and young people to learn, connect and grow.

The Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library is a project many years in the making and we’re grateful to the Federal Government for providing a contribution of $10 million to a project that will make a real difference for our community.

We’re also working towards the construction of a new community centre and library in Helensburgh, and preparing to reopen the Corrimal Community Centre and Library building following its recent refurbishment.

I hope that those participants in the Connecting Communities Conference enjoyed their time in Wollongong, and left feeling reinvigorated, inspired and valued for the essential work they do for their local communities.