A COMMUNITY hub in Morisset has been given a new lease on life as NovaCare prepares to sign on the dotted line for the next five years.
After the shock departure of Southlake Community Services (SCS) from the Morisset Multipurpose Centre earlier this year, NovaCare stepped up to manage the neighbourhood centre in the interim.
Not-for-profit organisation SCS went into liquidation after three decades at the centre offering food relief, youth services, parenting programs, disability support and a central hub where Lake Macquarie's most disadvantaged felt welcome.
Lake Macquarie council voted to award the new lease to NovaCare on Monday night and mayor Kay Fraser said she welcomed a long-term solution.
"It's absolutely fantastic to have NovaCare providing and continuing to provide that very much-needed aged care and community support that's needed on the western side of the lake," she said.
"The Morisset and Cooranbong area is growing at a substantial rate, there's not only retirees moving there but lots of young families moving there.
"It's great to have a service that's really passionate about the community be able to provide that much-needed assistance to them as well."
Lake Macquarie council has been looking for a community organisation to lease the facility since March.
Before it went bust, SCS operated community programs at the centre and managed its day-to-day operations, including permanent and casual hire.
NovaCare, which is a well-established aged care and community service provider, had been a permanent tenant for many years under a hire agreement with SCS.
The new lease is $16,000 a year, which will increase by 3.5 per cent annually.
The council received eleven inquiries and three applications from community groups to take on the lease.
Those applicants included NovaCare, Nourished Ed, a new start-up aimed at supporting vulnerable people, and not-for-profit A Healing Path to Wellness which specialises in mental health support.
Council consultation found the sudden loss of SCS had impacted the community and that there was a gap in place-based community services on offer at Morisset.
It also found there is limited access to place-based counselling and mental health support, a lack of space for emergency relief support services and places for arts and community groups to gather.
Labor Cr David Belcher said the services are desperately needed.
"I wish them all the luck in providing those services into the future," he said.
"This centre will be under increasing pressure in the coming years as the population grows on the south-west side of the lake.
"I certainly encourage people to make good use of the services as they come online, and that this organisation is a success moving forward."
NovaCare operates across the Hunter with community centres at Merewether, Swansea and Morisset.
A council assessment panel unanimously agreed that NovaCare showed it had the ability to manage the centre safely and efficiently, including looking after maintenance schedules, risk registers, security needs and large budgets.
The space will continue to be made available for community hire.
SCS announced it had to close in a Facebook post earlier this year due to "escalating costs" and a "lack of funding", despite the Department of Communities and Justice providing just over $320,000 each year.
From July 2021 to June 2022, the organisation employed seven people part-time, seven on a casual basis and was estimated to have 20 volunteers.
