Last week the Town of Victoria Park endorsed plans to fund and build a new $1.5 million community facility to cater for the Town’s youngest residents and upgrade the Lathlain Place streetscape with a $1.2 million facelift within its 2014-15 Budget.
Among those most excited are Luana Lisandro from Carlisle/Victoria Park Toy Library and Jenny Beer from Lathlain Carlisle Playgroup whose members have for years been meeting in an ageing, small building on Lathlain Place that was demolished between last December and March this year.
They are now being accommodated in temporary digs but after months of planning workshops can see how the new larger facility at Lot 60 Lathlain Place, due for completion within the next 12 months, will help their groups grow and prosper.
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READ NOWMs Lisandro, toy library president, said Margot Hayes, the wife of Town councillor Keith Hayes, established the group 25 years ago.
She said the new facility would mean more storage space for toys that would translate to an increase in its current membership of 90 and the hours it opens to the public.
‘It has been hard fought, but we will finally have an integrated early years facility for children aged from birth to eight and their families.
Ms Beer, playgroup president, said she was keen for her group to grow from its current 100 members to about 150 who, she said, were excited about the prospect of a large outdoor playground that would incorporate nature play.
The group operates weekdays and hopes the new facility will help it expand to weekend sessions to cater for working dads and FIFO families.
A WA Health child health care service will also operate from the new building that will be funded with proceeds of the sale of Town assets on Rutland Avenue and Oats Street.
The new streetscape will have a multi-functional rammed earth wall that will run through a widened median on Lathlain Place with high-quality paving, custom-made street furniture and seating, a new bus shelter and extensive landscaping including jacaranda trees.