Duke of Kent Community Building: A new landmark for motor club and U3A

About 110 Wagga Wagga Veteran and Vintage Motor Club (VVMC) members now call the highly anticipated, purpose-built Duke of Kent Community Building their new home.

The development of the new facility began in 2020 following the club’s decision to sell its previous site on Morgan Street that year.

The community building’s opening on 24 June was attended by Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor Dallas Tout, Aunty Mary Atkinson, and members of VVMC and University of the Third Age (U3A), who used the previous site for a long time.

The opening also displayed some of the VVMC members’ cars and motorbikes.

Cr Tout said the VVMC took a leap of faith by selling the old venue and using the funds to develop a new model for a community building across the city.

“The building will serve as a versatile space designed to meet the growing diverse need for public space,” Cr Tout said.

“This building represents our commitment to enhancing community infrastructure and supporting diverse gatherings and activities.

“To that end, we very much look forward to seeing the benefits the community overall will experience in future through this refreshed and rebuilt community space.”

VVMC vice-president Rob Le Lievre said the new facility was an asset for the motor club.

“It’s been a journey for us over some years, but we’re finally here,” Mr Le Leivre said. “The building has been designed and constructed for the whole community and will serve the club well.

“It’s not just the building … the biggest asset for us is the area with the greater Duke of Kent recreation sports ground we can use for our annual displays and larger events.

“We’re looking forward to moving into the building, making it our home, and sharing it with other groups that will come through.”

Mr Le Leivre said the club appreciated the access in and out of the city.

“The [vintage] vehicles take a little bit of maneuvering, and here we can easily run down Shaw Street to Kincaid, and we can exit out to our arterial roads.”

Mr Le Leivre said the construction of the new building was different from that of others around the city.

“The way that the building has been designed and the way it flows are going to be a real asset, and maybe more community centres in the future will use this design,” he said.

Members of the motor club also displayed several vehicles at the event, using the freshly installed carpark to showcase a key aspect of their passion for classic vehicles.

U3A president Daphne Carswell said she was excited about the new building.

“We’ve got an office and can go in every day of the week and organise, especially for prospective members because this is so centrally located,” Ms Carswell said.

“We’ve been in various buildings. It’s been very difficult over the years to be able to tell people where our actual home is.

“U3A Wagga Wagga is a rapidly growing not-for-profit organisation, offering up to 35 courses weekly for over 500 current members.”

Ms Carswell said the new building would allow U3A to increase the courses and activities for its members.

“This centrally located new facility will allow U3A Wagga Wagga to continue to grow and provide learning, social interaction and physical activities for the Wagga Wagga community members in their third age.”

WWCC manager of city growth and regional assets, Ben Creighton, described the venue as a versatile facility capable of serving various purposes.

“The new Duke of Kent Community Building has been designed to meet the growing need for diverse, adaptable event spaces in our city,” Mr Creighton said.

Highlights of the building’s construction include a new sound system and a soundproof wall divider, allowing the space to serve multiple user groups.

The construction team created fresh office spaces for the ongoing use of the VVMC and U3A. They upgraded the exterior with a new 22-space car park, solar panels, and improved stormwater and sewer systems to support the site’s infrastructure. Additionally, they erected a multipurpose undercover area.