Yass Valley Mayor Jasmin Jones (centre) invited the Yass community, young and old, to help her open the Crago Mill Precinct, the town’s new administration, cultural and emergency centre. Photo: Sally Hopman.
As hundreds of people gathered in the centre of Yass last Saturday (9 May) for the opening of the Crago Mill Precinct — the town’s new council chambers and library — Ngunnawal elder Aunty Wendy Brown told the gathering she had a story to share.
It was a long time ago, she said, “in my father’s day, when the Aboriginal Protection Board tried to move our people off country.
“My father, Oswald Brown, a Ngunnawal elder and a professional boxer, stood up strong and marched to the old council chambers, where he fought for us to say, ‘Never give up’.
“This place,” she said, referring to the at-times controversial new $50 million council chambers, library and community centre, “is testament to our resilience”.
“This is a place where we can see our culture and community grow … bring our connection and culture to this place.”
Conducting the traditional smoking ceremony, her grandson Bradley Mapiva Brown said it was designed to cleanse, protect and renew the new building, as such ceremonies had done for thousands of years.
“We believe in the properties of the eucalyptus gums to do this and we want to extend that into the new building.”
Mayor Jasmin Jones invited young people at the opening to help her cut the ribbon, saying the precinct marked a generational change in the community, which deserved to be celebrated.
“This precinct stands on the traditional land of the Ngunnawal people, and the enduring culture enriches our whole community,” she said.
“Ngunnawal traditonal custodianship will be respected and recognised in this place.”
Mayor Jones said the council would work with Elders in designing future facilities, including a yarning circle and storytelling artworks as enduring testimony to reconciliation.
Members of the Yass Valley Men’s Shed with Mayor Jasmin Jones and CEO Gayleen Burley. The members custom-made benches for the new council chambers from reclaimed wood from the old Crago Mill. Photo: Yass Valley Council.
“It’s clear this space will become a focal point for Yass Valley — a place where people come together to connect, learn and work,” she said.
The new, large library is a highlight of the precinct, with its modern fitout and dedicated children’s area. The precinct also includes community meeting rooms, study spaces, an arts and craft area, a parent’s room and a conference room.
CEO Gayleen Burley said the precinct was more than just a new workplace for Yass Valley Council staff.
“It is a purpose-built, integrated space that brings together council services, a state-of-the-art library, community facilities and an Emergency Operations Centre in one accessible location,” she said.
At the opening, special mention was made of members of the Yass Valley Men’s Shed, who used reclaimed timber from the original mill structure to craft custom bench seating for the new building.
Yass Valley Library staff (from left) Erin Ballenger, Jake Livingston, Juliet Berry and Therese van Leeuwen were on hand at the opening of the Crago Mill Precinct to welcome guests to the new site. Photo: Sally Hopman.
The $50 million precinct has had a controversial history, with the council criticised early on for embarking on such an expensive project when some residents believed the funds would be better spent updating the town’s antiquated water-treatment plant.
Although the council moved to go ahead with Stage 1, it decided in September last year to postpone the second stage, which involved demolition of the old council building and refurbishing the historic Crago Mill, which sits in the centre of the development.
The mill is an important part of Yass history, the business heart of the town from the late 1800s as the major producer of flour, bran and breakfast cereals.
Planning for the proposed new precinct began in 2006 when the YVC acquired the land, and the consultation process started in 2020. With the development application and plans approved in 2022, construction began last year.
An independent review, commissioned by the council, found that starting work on Stage 2, the refurbishment of the mill as a museum, gallery and cafe, would constrain the council’s cash reserves and affect its financial stability, so it was put on hold.
