East Devonport Neighbourhood House
 

Mr President, I rise today to champion the urgent need for a new purpose‑built neighbourhood house in East Devonport. Unfortunately, this vital community facility is struggling to deliver its essential service due to the limitations of its current outdated facility.

 

The East Devonport Neighbourhood House, or the EDNH, has been a cornerstone of the community since 2005. It tackles significant socio‑economic challenges confirmed by the suburbs Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, the SEIFA rating of 789, which signifies extreme economic and social disadvantage. People will not know this fact, but of Tasmania's 727 suburbs, East Devonport ranks as the 14th most marginalised.

 

The EDNH provides essential services and supports focusing on health and wellbeing, learning opportunities, employment support, social inclusion programs and building community resilience.

 

The effectiveness of EDNH is severely hampered by its current location, a renovated two‑storey, four‑bedroom domestic home on a hillside. In 2017, during which the EDNH had more than 38,000 points of contact, the limitations of the building resulted in daily disruptions. Four years later in 2021, access and safety concerns forced the indefinite closure of the entire ground floor, reducing the operational space from seven rooms to just two.

 

This drastic reduction in space for the last two years means that on an average day the house is running at capacity, with activity spaces full and no room for growth. In an average week the house well exceeds capacity, needing to run programs in the car park and off‑site, which is far from ideal.

 

In an average year, the Neighbourhood House provides more than 22,000 services - in the forms of weekly activities, information support and referral, social programs, food relief, exercise classes, skill development training and events - for up to 1000 community members. All these services are provided from a building with a capacity of approximately 35 people.

 

Furthermore, this building is not accessible to a standard that can meet the community's needs. Many people are missing out on the opportunity to learn and connect. A new purpose‑built neighbourhood house would present a transformative opportunity. Co‑designed with the community, it would offer dedicated spaces for meetings, workshops, activities and learning spaces. It would allow the further development of existing partnerships with more than 240 organisations, which include job network providers, health professionals and educators.

 

This collaborative approach would maximise the positive impact on the wider community. The benefits extend beyond East Devonport's residents. There is a growing multicultural population, working in agriculture and service industries. The proposed facility would provide a space for new arrivals to connect, share experiences and celebrate their cultural heritage.

 

Additionally, compliant accessibility would enable the East Devonport Neighbourhood House to partner with NDIS providers and expand its service to a new cohort of individuals with disabilities and mobility challenges, who, for the past decade, were prevented from accessing this crucial support.

 

My fellow members would agree that this project aligns perfectly with the Tasmanian government's key priorities. It supports and fosters healthy Tasmania objectives and strengthens the Tasmanian Child and Youth Wellbeing strategy. By addressing food insecurity and promoting social recovery, the project would contribute to the Food Relief to Food Resilience Action Plan and the Premier's Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council recommendations.

 

Furthermore, the project strives to enhance equality, access and participation by providing grassroots place‑based opportunities as outlined by the Community Partnerships and Priorities Division, stating for all Tasmanians to be equal, to be supported, valued, included and engaged in community life.

 

The estimated cost of $3 million to bring this project to fruition represents an investment in the future of east Devonport and the greater community. With identified vacant land, and land owned by the Crown and Devonport City Council, the project is both achievable and cost‑effective. A purpose‑built, accessible east Devonport Neighbourhood House would enable the organisation to effectively build and support a connected, more engaged and thriving community, providing a safe space for individuals and families, as well as service providers in which to operate, improve health and wellbeing outcomes, reduce loneliness and isolation, and deliver longer term economic and health benefits to the community.

 

The East Devonport community deserves a Neighbourhood House that reflects their needs and aspirations. A new east Devonport Neighbourhood House would serve not only this community but also the broader Tasmanian vision of a stronger, more inclusive society. The Neighbourhood House is not satisfactory for what it needs to be able to do, and it limits many people from actually attending, and with the downstairs totally not accessible it is not fair on that community. I would encourage the government and those involved to try and find the finances to help the situation. Thank you.