Act for Kids development application approved for specialist facility for at-risk kids

Approval has been granted by Moreton Bay Regional Council for the refurbishment of a facility to be leased by Act for Kids that will support vulnerable children in the region, with construction expected to commence in early 2022.

The existing property located at Station Road Morayfield is owned by Caboolture Sporting Club and will be completely refurbished thanks to a grant and in-kind support from the Property Industry Foundation.

Property Industry Foundation Queensland Chair, Greg Clarke said the Foundation worked with industry partners to facilitate a Material Change of Use, develop building plans and supporting documents for the redesign and manage and submit the Development Application to Council.

“The Property Industry Foundation is an independent charity that brings together the property and construction industry in a unique collaboration to have a tangible impact on youth homelessness,” Clarke said.

“This project will see a disused building transformed to accommodate three therapy rooms as well as welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces that will enable Act for Kids to provide a variety of services to at-risk youth.

“In Queensland there are 4,500 young people who do not have safe and secure housing. We know that early intervention programs, such as those offered by Act for Kids, provide stability and support for young people which reduces the risk of homelessness.

“I would like to acknowledge and thank Auto and General Insurance who have provided $350,000 to this project, as well as Liebke Builders, who without their generosity this project would not proceed.”

Act for Kids Executive Director of Service Strategy and Growth, Thomas McIntyre said that while some services have been confirmed for the facility, the design allows for a flexible delivery model to truly meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people, their families and the community.

“The facility will include provision for clinical therapy programs including speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychology and counselling services,” McIntyre said.

“We also hope to offer action- based intervention therapy such as drum beat and our partnership with the ‘Traction’ program who mentor and teach vulnerable kids how to build bikes. When working alongside a trained mentor we’ve found that kids open up and respond well to this kind of therapy, rather than through a clinical model alone.

“Our ideal vision for the space is to create a one-stop-shop that truly meets the needs of the community. We have provision for and welcome third party practitioners to operate out of our space, particularly those in health, education, legal or First Nations services.

“Act for Kids is deeply grateful that The Property Industry Foundation has created a wonderful space for us. We look forward to expanding upon that to create a welcoming and safe environment where young people want to participate in our programs which leads to improved outcomes.

“We would not be able to expand our footprint and support vulnerable children in the Morayfield region without The Property Foundation’s continuous generosity and support,” McIntyre said.

The Property Industry Foundation is pleased to work in partnership with the following suppliers on this project:

• Architectural works completed by Karl Eckermann, Hugh Nagle & Casey Doyle of Architectus
• Town Planning works completed by Chris Harris & Ben Weaver from Ethos Urban
• Point Cloud scanning works by Jason Grandin & John Howie from Arcadis
• Certifying works by Olivia Suridge from Formiga1
• Services Engineering by Mathew Burke, Bruce Skipp, and Ralph Harrison from ADP Consulting
• Surveying by Craig Wood from Bennett & Bennett
• Structural engineering by Scott Clements from Inertia Consulting
• Quantity Surveying work by Matthew Mackey and Neil Gall from Arcadis

The Property Industry Foundation is seeking in-kind donations for building products to support this project. For more information or to make a donation, please contact arusby-perera@pif.com.au.

Lourdes Antenor

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Lourdes Antenor is an experienced writer who specialises in the not-for-profit sector and its affiliations. She is the content producer for Third Sector News, an online knowledge-based platform for and about the Australian NFP sector.

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