Construction on the long-awaited home for three community groups is expected to start in the coming months. Photo: Moruya Antique Tractor and Machinery Association.
Three South Coast community groups will soon be picking up the keys to their shared home, after their council approved plans for a new facility.
Earlier this year, the Eurobodalla Woodwork Guild (also known as the Eurobodalla Woodies) lodged a joint development application (DA) with Eurobodalla Shire Council.
The guild will be sharing the space with the Moruya Antique Tractor and Machinery Association (MATAMA) and the Classic and Vintage Motor Club of Eurobodalla.
For Eurobodalla Woodwork Guild president Rick Stanford, Eurobodalla Council’s approval of the proposal brings more than just a new home.
At the time of the Black Summer bushfires, the Eurobodalla Woodies and the Moruya Antique Tractor and Machinery Association were based out of the Gold Rush Colony in Mogo.
“In 2019, on 31 December, the bushfire came through and completely decimated it – the buildings, the workshop, everything,” he said.
“All of the tractors that they [MATAMA] had in their shed got completely melted down. … It burnt all our tools, our timber. There was absolutely nothing left.”
Ever since the fire engulfed much of the small town, they have operated out of a member’s home while seeking a more permanent location.
“Pretty much straight away, we started thinking, ‘OK, we’ve got to find a new location’.
“On busy days we’re all bumping shoulders, you have to wait your turn to use a piece of machinery and things like that. It’s all right – better than not having anything, but it will be much better when we’ve got a proper full-size workshop.”
He said the process was marked with delays and confusion as they navigated logical and environmental considerations.
Eurobodalla Council ultimately suggested they considered a council-owned block at Bimbimbie, a rural locality in the shire, about a 10-minute drive from Broulee, which turned out to be what they were looking for.
“We’ve had six years of disappointment. … We’re all very excited about it, because the facility we’ve got is fairly small,” Mr Stanford said.
The guild has been housed in a temporary setup, pictured here in 2021. Photo: Tom McGann.
In the new community centre, which will be known as the Bimbimbie Artisan’s Centre, the three groups will share the space.
There will also be a community kitchen.
He said the extra space would make the Eurobodalla Woodies’ efforts “much easier”, with the more bench space meaning they can pull equipment out of storage and improve on their workshop’s current layout.
“If we’ve got 15 people in the workshop, it’s very, very crowded. It would be nice to get 20 or 25 people there, which we’ll be able to do in a new workshop.”
Mr Stanford said the next major step was applying for grants to cover at least some of the construction costs.
The success of those applications will also influence when the new centre can open, but he’s expecting the construction process to take about a year.
“We’re getting quotes at the moment from buildings and suppliers,” he said.
According to documents lodged with the DA, the Artisan’s Centre will be located on a block of land with access off Bimbimbie Road, which connects to the Princes Highway.
Once the centre is built, groups will share the site with an existing NSW RFS training centre. Fencing will separate the two facilities.
