First step in new home for Cairns Meals on Wheels

Council has paved the way for Cairns Meals on Wheels to move to a new permanent home in Westcourt.

Cairns Meal On Wheels Incorporated (CMOW) have operated from Barlow Park under a Council tenure arrangement since 2009.

However, the organisation is seeking to establish a new fit for purpose facility to grow its operations and provide much needed support to other Meals on Wheels operations at Marlin Coast and Edmonton.

Council today unanimously supported offering CMOW a freehold lease over 271 Gatton St, Westcourt, which is centrally located and offers 1851 sq/m, and support construction of a new fit for purpose facility.

The CMOW operation is one of the largest in Queensland and delivers more than 5,000 meals a week to the elderly and vulnerable.

In addition to this core service, administrators and volunteers monitor the health and well-being of their clients through regular contact.

In recent times their community and social contribution has grown to become a vital part of our region’s local disaster response.

During the COVID-pandemic, CMOW partnered with the SES and Woolworths to deliver much-needed supplies and, following the significant flooding event that followed Tropical Cyclone Jasper, the organisation deployed its significant stock of pre-prepared meals to support impacted residents.

The proposed relocation to Gatton is dependent on CMOW obtaining additional project funding support.