Council & Business
13 March, 2023
Maryborough men’s shed move on the cards
Relocation could be on the cards for Maryborough’s Men’s Shed with the Central Goldfields Shire Council advocating for its move to a more suitable space. At last month’s ordinary council meeting held on February 28, councillors unanimously...
Relocation could be on the cards for Maryborough’s Men’s Shed with the Central Goldfields Shire Council advocating for its move to a more suitable space.
At last month’s ordinary council meeting held on February 28, councillors unanimously backed a motion to write to Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan, requesting that the former goods shed at the Maryborough Railway Station be made available to the council for community purposes.
According to the report tabled at the meeting, the former good’s shed is part of a valued heritage asset and is an important feature of the station — however, it is no longer used for its original purpose.
The report further states that this space would be an ideal location for the men’s shed — currently located on Newton Street — and would also be an “excellent example of sustainable reuse of this significant heritage asset”.
Speaking while moving the motion, Cr Chris Meddows-Taylor said that the good’s shed would be perfect for the men’s shed’s purposes.
“The good’s shed is a very important and treasured part of that heritage [complex] which hasn’t been used for its purpose for a great many decades,” he said.
“It would provide in my view, and there’s been a lot of consultation with the men’s shed, a wonderful opportunity to rehouse the Men’s Shed into an industrial type of environment.”
Echoing the message, Cr Wayne Sproull also supported the motion and said that it would help the development of the not-for-profit association.
“The men’s shed in Maryborough has a great bunch of members and a list of potential members who would like to join. There’s one problem, the current location is too small and the current lease doesn’t really allow for expansion [from their currently offered two-day-a-week program],” he said.
“Part of that lease is also that they can only operate machinery with the doors down — this is a tin shed, yes it is insulated but can still get quite hot inside. The men’s shed need a new larger space suitable for their vision and programs.
“The current men’s shed operates Tuesdays and Thursdays but wish to open on more days — they want to expand.
“[The good’s shed] is central in its location, it’s accessible via many ways which adds to its appeal. The men’s shed is going places but they need our help to get there.”
Maryborough Men’s Shed, Cr Sproull said, plays a vital role in the community — connecting and engaging with residents in the shire.
“The idea of the men’s shed was to provide an environment where men can get together socially whilst taking on project work in areas such as woodwork or metal work [it’s bringing] like minded men together, creating social connections, it gets blokes talking,” he said.
“The knowledge and experience of the members of the men’s shed is a true asset and one often under-valued. They currently offer many services like the repair and maintenance of a range of things.
“The ability to do all this needs knowledge, machinery and space — they have the knowledge and the machinery but the space is a little lacking.
“The potential for the men’s shed to grow in our community is huge but they need the ability to operate more days and a larger space to grow.”