Healing centre a step closer
Cooktown will soon have a space for men and children to seek refuge, advice and help. The Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation plans to build a new healing centre on land donated by Cook Shire Council. It would be available as a drop-in facility during the day, said Gungarde chief executive Greg Whittaker.
COOKTOWN will soon have a space for men and children to seek refuge, advice and help.
The Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation plans to build a new healing centre on land donated by Cook Shire Council.
The site will be determined in coming days.
Gungarde chief executive Greg Whittaker said the centre would be owned and managed by the organisation but work in partnership with all comShort-term munity support services.
“The centre would be available as a kind of drop-in facility during the day, with staff able to discuss issues with people and link them with other support services,” he said.
“We get people who are released from prison and come here and then there’s no way for them to get home to Wujal or Hope Vale. Hopefully they’ll come to us and we can help them get back home.”
accommodation for men and mental health support will also be available.
Gungarde Women’s Group co-ordinator Oriel Murray, an experienced family therapy and substance abuse counsellor, will be based at the centre.
Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said the project had been given conceptual support by councillors and the proposal to grant land to Gungarde would be put forward at the June 26 council meeting.
“This centre has been talked about for the past four years by the Cooktown Interagency Group, and after looking at various models we have decided this is the one that is needed most, now and into the future,” Cr Scott said.
“The project has strong State and Federal Government support and the construction and ongoing operation will provide numerous local employment and training opportunities.”
THE CENTRE WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS A KIND OF DROP-IN FACILITY DURING THE DAY, WITH STAFF ABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES WITH PEOPLE AND LINK THEM WITH OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES GUNGARDE CHIEF EXECUTIVE GREG WHITTAKER