The Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative presence in Stawell is set to grow with the organisation acquiring a new community space.
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The Aboriginal Co-operative, based in Horsham, will open a community space at 46 Leslie Street address, the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Stawell.
Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive Tony Craig said the Indigenous Australian collective planned on establishing a base in Stawell for some time.
"It is really exciting and the feedback we have had is great and we are really looking forward to it," he said.
"It has been a part of our planning because we provide services over in the area and we have done that remotely from Horsham for a while.
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"But we have always had that as part of our strategic plan to develop our outreach into some areas where we are providing services with some physical infrastructure.
"The opportunity came along with the old Jehovah's Hall and we just thought it would be a good fit."
Mr Craig said the new site would be used to give the local indigenous community a space to meet together, while also catering to their needs.
"We want to be community-led. That's what a good aboriginal co-operative does," he said.
"It is just really good for our local indigenous community to have a place to go and we want to have it as a bit of a community space as well.
"Whenever we build or buy a property it is not ours, it is for the local community.
"We are not going to impose ourselves in a really structured way, we are going to talk and listen and be responsive to community's needs.
"We will be doing a lot of community consultations in the coming weeks and months."
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Mr Craig said he expected services at the site soon would commence soon, as the building is worked into shape.
He said the site would be used for meet and greets, playgroup meetings and community events, while the office part of the hall was updated to be user-friendly for Goolum Goolum staff.
He expects there to be rotating staff through the space for five-days a week when it is up and running.
The Goolum service area includes the traditional peoples of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Japagulk and Wergaia regions.
Goolum Goolum is recognised as the principal Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation within the local Government areas of Horsham Rural City Council , Northern Grampians, Hindmarsh Shire Council, West Wimmera Shire Council, Ararat Rural City Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council and it responsible for ensuring the provision of effective health, welfare and family services to the Aboriginal community.
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