Ideas welcome for Wee Waa hub

Narrabri Shire Council has secured a grant of $2,554,705 for the proposed Wee Waa Community and Business Hub through the Resources for Regions fund as community consultation about the future use of the old National Australia Bank building and War Memorial area is expected to take place for three months.

“It’s a great opportunity to futureproof our town, we’ve got a considerable sum of money, the community is interested so let’s see something there that’s fit for purpose,” said councillor and Wee Waa and District Chamber of Commerce president John Clements.

“I do want to see the chamber of commerce take the lead on this.

“We’ve lost services in Wee Waa, we want to encourage people to get involved and share their ideas.”

Cr Clements urged residents to express their views and take part in the consultation process. He said he thought the old NAB building could be used for a range of services, from a space to boost tourism, support for elderly people, the full-time presence of council staff in Wee Waa or as a mental health resource, just to name a few ideas.

“The town desperately needs youth resources too,” said Cr Clements.

“Nothing is set in stone yet; I encourage people to get involved – let’s take charge.”

To ensure the engagement process for the proposed Wee Waa Community and Business Hub is thorough and extensive, Narrabri Shire Council has enlisted the support of a consultant -Wise Point, an independently owned provider of strategic project and stakeholder management services.

It’s expected council staff will be involved in carrying out the consultation process in the next month, kicking off with a community barbecue on March 21. The completion of engagement activities including the master plan is expected to occur within three months, assuming there are no unanticipated developments.

Previous feedback submitted about potential uses for the old NAB building will still be considered as part of the overall decision-making process.

NAB gifted the building to council for community use, following the bank’s decision to close its Wee Waa branch in December 2021.

The matter was discussed at the most recent ordinary council meeting, with all councillors present voting in favour of a recommendation to endorse the community engagement strategy for the Wee Waa Community and Business Hub. Councillor and Wee Waarian John Clements put the recommendation forward and it was seconded by Cr Darrell Tiemens.

The strategy document prepared by WisePoint and presented to council said the purpose of the engagement is to involve the community of Wee Waa in the planning and delivery of two important projects – the old NAB building and the War Memorial area.

The objective is to ensure that both projects align with the community’s goals and aspirations through proactive engagement.

By merging the two projects, the aim is to involve the community in the decision-making process and gather their opinions to make sure the final result reflects residents’ needs and desires.

The WisePoint document said a 2022 community survey about the old NAB building’s future use provided “valuable insights” but noted “some of the recommendations may be at odds with existing businesses and exceed the council’s core responsibilities.

“Additionally, the local high school has suggested potential uses for the building,” states the WisePoint document. “To include all perspectives, further discussions with stakeholders are necessary.”

The WisePoint document said Resources for Regions has provided funding to develop a master plan for the War Memorial area, which is next to the old NAB building.

“Dennis Lowder, who is a returned serviceman, has an idea to put four soldiers around the War Memorial clock,” said Cr Clements.

“It’s an opportunity to extend the recognition of our service people.”

The consultation process will involve community workshops, in-person and one-on-one meetings, a survey, and key staff attending council community barbecues to discuss the project, gather feedback and encourage participation in workshops.

A working group will be formed to design plans that fulfil the needs of the community and collaborate with the main master planner to avoid setting unrealistic expectations.

The WisePoint strategy document also outlined what council wants to achieve from the community engagement process: obtaining input on the community’s needs and requirements for both the old NAB building and the War Memorial area; community support and involvement to ensure council is delivering what the community want and need; provide a facility to accommodate the present and future requirements of the community; develop a comprehensive master plan that addresses and meets the requirements of the community for the war memorial area.

Stakeholders listed in the document include council, Wee Waa and District Chamber of Commerce, Wee Waa schools and pre-schools, music groups, Wee Waa Local Aboriginal Land Council, church groups, golf club, CWA, Wee Waa Show Society, Rotary, Lions and sporting clubs, community care services, adjoining landowners/businesses, Wee Waa residents and property owners, individuals and family members of service people, individuals who donated statues. The council meeting’s business paper referenced the 2022 community survey undertaken to gain feedback about the future utilisation of the Rose Street property.

The responses included: a cultural, education and events space; a youth centre; a medical or doctors’ facility; allied health services; community service groups; a band room; or a bank.

The business paper states, “It is considered that a medical centre or similar for a general practitioner would not be appropriate utilisation of the property, given such a development would be in direct competition with an existing provider, the breadth of utilisation would be narrow (and may not create any community benefit without additional initiatives being implemented to attract a suitable provider), and there are expected to be significant costs associated with making the property fit for this purpose.

“The property is considered suitable for providing office spaces for visiting allied health providers to utilise. Similarly, the property is considered suitable for providing office/meeting spaces for a variety of community groups, organisations, and service providers. The property may also be suitable for providing a large multipurpose/meeting space. The property would not be suitable for a bank or financial institution as this would require written consent by NAB.”

According to the business paper, the financial implication of the community engagement strategy will be between $40,000 and $50,000. “All other project costs are expected to be captured within the grant allocation.”