Aidan Curtis
THE Donovans community came together on Monday afternoon to celebrate the official opening of its new community hall.
Residents flocked to the hall to see the ribbon cutting that marked the opening, along with cake and afternoon tea.
Donovans Recreational Advisory Committee president Steve Gillett said though the hall has already been put to use, it was great to show it was open to the public.
“It’s really good [to have this community gathering space] because that’s what it was all about in the first place,” Mr Gillett said.
“It’s been a long project and we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve.
“We hope that people in other communities feel free to come here, and it’s always open for surrounding communities to use it.”
Mr Gillett cut the ribbon alongside Federal Barker MP Tony Pasin and District Council of Grant mayor Kylie Boston.
Mr Pasin described community halls as “the heart and soul” of regional towns and said this opening could not be understated.
“The fact that we’ve got probably 50 or 60 community members at the opening says everything about how important this community centre is for the people of Donovans,” he said.
“A number of the activities that are now taking place in this community hall either weren’t happening or were taking place at private residences.
“It’s a great feeling when you can help deliver outcomes for communities that have been looking for them for many years.”
Ms Boston said the new hall was absolutely fabulous and she looked forward to seeing the Donovans community using it for years to come.
“I just think it’s great it allows the community to come and get together,” she said.
“When you have a community like this, it allows everybody to come whereas if you go to somebody’s house, it’s not necessarily as inclusive.
“What’s good about it is it doesn’t leave people out.”
