Brown Street Community Hall Accessibility

11/03/2024 - Brown Street Community Hall Accessibility

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         following Covid and long lock-down periods, isolation and loneliness is at an all-time high, with local community gatherings often being a great form of social interaction and sense of community;

(ii)        Brown Street Community Hall is a hall the City advertises as ‘suitable for small community meetings, training courses and discussion groups’ located in Newtown;

(iii)       Brown Street Community Hall has the capacity for 80 people and provides: tables and chairs, a kitchenette with sink, air-conditioning, heater, carpeted floor and instant hot water tap;

(iv)       the City state on their website that Brown Street Community Hall is not accessible to people with disability. The venue has none of the following:

(a)        onsite mobility parking;

(b)        accessible toilets;

(c)        lift;

(d)        ambulant toilets; and

(e)        level access entrance; and

(v)        advice received from City staff in February outlined that due to Brown Street Community Hall’s constrained building nature and heritage listing, ensuring full accessibility will be significantly more difficult; and

(B)       the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         outline the steps required to include the Brown Street Community Hall in a future whole-of-building upgrade program to ensure full compliance with current accessibility standards and to abide by the current heritage listing; and

(ii)        report back to Councillors via the CEO Update on the above.

Carried unanimously.

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