Community opportunity to buy surplus Gayndah gym equipment

AMID the ongoing construction of the new IWC North Burnett Health & Wellbeing Community Centre, locals are now being offered the opportunity to purchase unwanted used gym equipment.

“The equipment is from the previous YMCA gym operations, and was left with the building as part of the package when ownership of the site passed to IWC,” said IWC General Manager Wayne Mulvany.

“It is not going to be used in the purpose-built gym area we are creating within this project, so we are inviting the community to a once-off, ‘make an offer’ sale.

“The sale will be held at the site at 24 Fielding St, Gayndah, from 9.30am-3.30pm on Saturday 13 February, where members of the public will be able to inspect the equipment and make an offer. All buyers will be required to pay cash and to take away any purchases there and then.”

IWC is a registered charity and Aboriginal Community-driven health organisation which offers services to all people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

IWC has been running a small clinic in North Burnett since 2013 but is now in the final throes of creating a purpose-built clinical and community facility on the Gayndah site. The main YMCA building was demolished, but the sports stadium which closed in 2016 remains.

Garden and meeting areas will link the new centre and the stadium.

“The project to create the facility also renews and refurbishes the sports stadium, and adds a purpose-built gym area to be fitted out with commercially compliant equipment that supports people of all levels of fitness,” said Mr Mulvany. “Monies raised will assist in the costs of this project, because there remains many repairs and refurbishment items needed for the stadium area which go well beyond IWC’s budget for the facility.”

He added: “There has been interest from local people around the used gym equipment, which was left after the YMCA building was cleared out by the former owners, so we thought a one-day, buy-it-now event would be a good community option.”

Photos of the equipment are available on the IWC Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/iwchealthandwellbeing, and all items will be sold as seen.

“This whole project is an exciting one for the community, and we thank everyone for their ongoing support,” said Mr Mulvany.

“IWC is funding the construction, with support from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), which has provided $980,000 towards the total $2.43 million project costs.”

“The new facility is offering a very real opportunity for the region to move ahead in relation to Primary Health Care as well as revitalising the stadium and delivering a purpose-built gym.

“This is an exciting project that is rising like a phoenix from the ashes to build community services for all people in the region and generate local jobs.”

The project is on course to have the new centre and refurbished stadium open this year.