New community facility takes shape in Bligh Street

Work is rapidly progressing on the new SES community shed that will replace the old Bligh Street Sports Clubhouse in Dalby.

 The new SES Shed will be located at the former club house site on the Barley Board fields where the original building stood.

 Before it was destroyed by fire in 2017, the original hall was used as a sports clubhouse and many other community purposes including dance classes and martial arts lessons.

After losing the much-loved facility, Western Downs Regional Council planned a new building which could be used once again by the community as well as provide a new headquarters for the Dalby SES.

Council tendered for the contract which went to New State Builders last year for the construction and have since been working hard to create a facility that could be used by a variety of community and sporting groups.

It will be an ‘L’ shaped structure fitted with six roller doors and cover a floor space of 18 metres by 15 metres which will feature publicly available meeting rooms, office spaces, a fully furnished kitchen, air conditioning and shed space.

A new undercover walkway that looks over the sporting fields will be constructed and will run between the main building and amenities.

The existing toilet and shower block have also undergone a full refurbishment and are expected to open for public use by the end of June.

The carpark and driveway will also get a face-lift with bitumen getting laid as part of the Bligh Street upgrade.

Spokesperson for Council Facilities Councillor Ray Brown says this will be a great new space which he is looking forward to the community to take full advantage of.

“It was upsetting for many when the original building burnt down so it will be great to breathe life back into the grounds again,” he said.

“The building will be a great asset to the community, offering meeting rooms and office spaces which can be booked like our other facilities, through a simple process with Council.

“I can’t wait to see the finished product and look forward to it being well-used by the SES as well as the community.”

The total cost of the shed construction and amenities refurbishment is $547,843 with funds coming from the SES non-recurrent funds, Queensland Government’s Natural Disaster Resilience Program and Council via Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

The project is set to be completed by the end of June.

For more information on the new community facility, contact Council on 1300 COUNCIL.

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Brianna Allen              Communications & Marketing Officer                 0419 208 600