THE EMBATTLED Toodyay Community Resource Centre (TCRC) is due re-open later this month under new management and premises in Stirling Terrace next to the Alma Beard Medical Centre.
Toodyay shire councillors voted 7-0 at a special meeting last month to adopt a rescue plan that will see the shire take over running the centre (pictured left with former manager Nicole Coleman at previous site), pay off its debts and draft a new business model to secure its future.
The centre was forced to close at rented premises next to the Christmas shop in August after starting the new financial year with a $52,000 deficit following a discovery that it had underpaid current and former staff for at least the past four years.
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The shire will become the centre’s new owner and transfer its staff to local government jobs at the new shire-owned site.
Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst said $107,000 a year in federal money paid to the centre’s previous volunteer management to run the centre would be transferred to the shire.
Federal money supported than 100 community resource centres in WA, of which 14 were run by local government councils.
Councillors were told that the TCRC’s August closure had placed significant extra demand on shire staff and resources at the Toodyay Public library.
The library had only one public computer and could not meet increased local demand for public internet access and other services.
The closure meant also that after-school activities were no longer available for younger people living in the shire.
Councillors agreed to cover the centre’s current financial liabilities up to a total of $47,500 and amend the new shire budget in a mid-year review.
A proposed new TCRC business model would be presented to the November council meeting.
Former TCRC manager Nicole Coleman has started a new role as voluntary secretary at the Toodyay Club, which re-opened its doors last month with a series of events after closing in July due to ongoing financial losses.
The Club has re-opened with no paid staff, only volunteers.
