Dulwich Community Centre Redevelopment

***CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE***

On Saturday 18 November 2023 it was our great pleasure to officially open the redeveloped Dulwich Community Centre. Featuring a Welcome to Country form Kaurna, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri, Ngadjuri and Arrente man Cliffy Wilson, we enjoyed music from Dizzy Izzy and demonstrations by Hoshindo Karate Adelaide.

It was wonderful to see so many members of our community come to visit this newly enhanced space, which will serve visitors for many years to come.

If you are interested in hiring the Dulwich Community Centre for your event or function, you can place an expression of interest on our website.

CONSTRUCTION COMMENCES

The reconstruction of the Dulwich Community Centre commenced in March 2023.

Keep up to date with the progress of construction. Visit the image gallery.

RESULTS OF ENGAGEMENT

While a lot of the feedback received through this process was supportive, there were some concerns and queries raised. The main concerns raised, and steps that will be taken to address these, are outlined below.

Attendance / hours of use / noise: The intent is to keep the hours of operation of the centre consistent with what is currently in place.

Council will also aim to minimise disruption to local neighbours by avoiding hire of the centre to activities which are of high risk of noise and disturbance at night.

Further, with improved security technology (swipe cards), Council can better monitor hirer use. The redeveloped centre will also be smaller than what is currently in place. Thus it is not anticipated that the new centre should attract significantly more use.

Incorporations have been made into the designs to improve noise attenuation for nearby neighbours, including insulated double-brick walls with additional layers of acoustic plasterboard above the ceiling over the stage and new double glazing treatments on windows.

Parking / traffic congestion: Parking and traffic congestion in the streets surrounding the centre is a known concern due to its location in a suburban area. While the proposed plans include some car parks on-site, it is acknowledged that the centre will still rely on car parking in the surrounding streets during its operation, as it does currently.

Council has therefore committed to undertake a traffic and parking study of the local area to identify and implement any changes that need to be made once the redevelopment has been completed and the centre is being used.

Privacy: The redevelopment has less windows facing nearby residences than the existing centre, and the entrance has been moved to the front of the building to avoid people needing to walk down the side adjacent the next door property to access the centre. It is anticipated that these changes will improve privacy for nearby neighbours.

Next steps

Appropriate approvals will shortly be sought for the proposed redevelopment. As part of this process, owners and occupiers within 60m of the community centre will receive direct notification of the proposal and a sign will be placed on the land to notify the community generally. Any person may make a representation in relation to the proposal when the notification occurs.

Subject to appropriate approvals being received, Council plans to commence construction in the 2022/23 financial year.

A traffic and parking study will be undertaken approximately 6 months post-completion to address any ongoing traffic / parking concerns.

***

Located at 14 Union Street, Dulwich, the Dulwich Community Centre is a much-loved community centre used for a variety of community activities and programs. However the centre needs some work to bring it up to modern standards, including making it accessible for all users, improving its environmental sustainability performance, providing better parking facilities, and making the venue more functional. 

The project is estimated to cost approximately $1.4m. A contribution of $709,438 from the Federal Government's 'Local Roads and Community Infrastructure' program has been received to help fund this project.

Proposed Plans

Council has developed proposed plans for the redevelopment of the centre in conjunction with key user groups, which can be viewed in the Document Library to the right of screen.

The proposed plans for this boutique community centre include:

• Off-street parking, including a DDA*-compliant parking area for those with a disability.
• Environmental sustainability improvements including solar panels, rainwater tanks, additional on-site planting, water sensitive urban design, double glazing, new, more efficient lighting/heating/cooling systems, e-bike charging facility.
• Improved bathroom and changeroom areas, including DDA-compliant and family friendly facilities.
• Retaining the Daisy Salotti Hall at the rear of the facility, in recognition of the bequest that enabled the construction of this rear hall.
• A new front entrance to ease noise for neighbours.
• A new stage area and audiovisual system to provide greater flexibility and uses for the centre.

*DDA=Disability Discrimination Act

Following receipt of community feedback on the proposed designs, Council will finalise plans for the Dulwich Community Centre, with the intent to undertake construction in the 2022/23 financial year.

***Hover your mouse and click on each image in the Photo Gallery (right of screen) to see a large version. All images are also located in the PDF file in the Document Library.***

How do I have my say?

Provide feedback on the proposed plans for the Dulwich Community Centre, by filling in the online form below by 5 pm Friday 24 June 2022.

More information

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this project further, please email burnside@burnside.sa.gov.au or phone 8366 4200.