Council Approves Upgrade of Community Centre and Library Extension

Published on 14 December 2023

At the Extraordinary Meeting of Council held on Wednesday 13 December 2023, a recommendation to enter a contract with a preferred tender for the refurbishment of the Dorrigo Community Centre and the Dorrigo Library  Extension was resolved.

The decision is an exciting development for the community of Dorrigo and more broadly the residents of our Shire, giving the green light for the two proposed building upgrades to begin construction in the new year.

Following a re-evaluation of the initial tenders and further negotiations over pricing, Council has awarded both projects to PKN Constructions which has allowed for discounted project costs without significant reductions to the scope of works.

These projects are funded by the NSW Government Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund(BLERF) and the State Library Funding and Building and Infrastructure Reserves. A shortfall of $81,695.52 will be covered by Council from the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve as required to allow both projects to be delivered within current market conditions.

Mayor, Cr Steve Allan commented, "We're pleased to move forward with these essential projects for the Dorrigo Community. Our Council staff have worked diligently to negotiate a favourable deal, ensuring both projects can be completed simultaneously and with minimal adjustments to the scope."

While some initial project elements, such as timber floor refinishing and additional acoustic panels, won't be included in the final scope, Mayor Allan emphasised that these aspects can be revisited at a later date without affecting the integrity of the current projects.

Construction is slated to begin in 2024.