Whitsunday Regional Council’s new, state-of-the art administration building was officially opened in Proserpine yesterday, thanks to collaborative funding from all three levels of government.

The $11.9 million facility, which includes a fully equipped disaster coordination centre and innovation hub, will replace the old admin building which was irreparably damaged by tropical cyclone Debbie in 2017.

The new building includes a high-tech disaster management will better equip Whitsunday Regional Council to deal with natural disasters as well improving day to day operations.

After cyclone Debbie ripped through the Whitsundays, replacing the Proserpine admin building was absolutely necessary.

The community now has a council building that’s able to withstand severe weather events and a disaster response hub to ensure the safety of the locals during those uncertain times.

This project has also provided local jobs during and after construction and that’s what a recovering regional community like Proserpine needs most.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian Government’s $3,606,000 investment in community infrastructure would provide long term benefits to the Whitsunday region.

“In addition to providing a venue to deliver a variety of community-based training and support programs, this investment will also produce long-term economic benefits to the area as it is expected to contribute $3.4 million to the gross regional product,” Mr McCormack said.

“By supporting 57 jobs in construction and creating an expected 45 ongoing jobs after completion, in addition to using local businesses and supplies, this project will help bring economic prosperity to Proserpine for many years to come.”

The total project cost of Proserpine Administration Building was $11,906,000 with funding of just over $3.6 million coming through the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, $3,587,000 from Whitsunday Regional Council and $5 million from the Queensland State Government.