It has taken more than a year but Nullum House in Knox Park has finally reopened after being severely damaged in the 2017 flood.
Murwillumbah’s Nullum House operates as a Social Inclusion Centre, providing a range of services to the homeless, lonely and struggling members of the community.
It floods even in small events and one of the options was to demolish the building and relocate the services.
But Tweed Shire Council – with the backing of its tenant the not-for-profit Murwillumbah Community Centre Inc – decided to gut and refurbish the building at a cost of $100,000 to make it more flood resilient and vandal resilient.
The new fitout will allow it to be hosed out and back in operation quickly after any future inundation.
The external blockwalls have been waterproofed to about one metre above ground level; steel security screens have been fitted and the eaves have been lined with Colorbond.
On the inside, a more open-plan has been adopted with fewer internal walls, tiles have replaced linoleum and a stainless steel kitchen and benches have replaced the previous timber cabinets.
Electrical circuits have been lifted above likely inundation levels.
Over the past 12 years, the services from Nullum House have grown and 24 staff and volunteers now provide lunch twice a week, shower and laundry facilities, counselling, art and music therapy, as well as connections to other support services.
Three evenings a week the Combined Churches run a soup kitchen at Nullum House.
For more information about Nullum House and the services provided there, drop in to the Centre on Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 2.30pm.
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