City of Palmerston is redeveloping Gray Community Hall into a contemporary multi-use facility where people can meet, play and socialise. 

The Hall is located in the heart of Palmerston and offers an open space for community members and groups to hire for events and functions. It is Council’s most frequently hired facility and a much-loved home to a number of community groups. 

The reimagined Gray Community Hall will include multiple zones to allow for simultaneous bookings, both indoor and outdoor. The new design will create more flexibility in a similar sized footprint to the current building.

Cost and duration

This project is worth $1.83 million, with funding provided under the Australian Government’s Community Development Grants program.

On 5th May 2021, the construction tender was formally awarded to Indigenous owned M+J Builders.

Construction will commence in June, following a period of demolition works, and is expected to be completed by end of 2021.

Benefits

The existing Gray Community Hall building is aging, an upgrade has been planned to create a space that is contemporary, versatile and caters to a wider community audience. The existing building will be demolished and replaced with a new, purpose-built community hall. The new build will achieve a higher level of value when compared with a renovation of the existing facility.

Planned improvements include:

• a main indoor function space
• a secondary indoor function space
• improved kitchen facilities
• veranda space with high ceiling fans
• access-compliant toilets and outdoor toilets accessible to people visiting the community garden
• solar water-heating systems
• water re-use systems
• smart-controlled irrigation
• LED lighting 
• a higher level of air-conditioning efficiency. 

Consultation 

Redevelopment plans were available for public comment for a three week period, with the consultation open from 21 August and closing on 14 September 2020.