Old Fernvale IGA given a Lifeline

AFTER posing as a disaster recovery centre, the former home of the Fernvale IGA has a new long-term resident.

Volunteer Jacquie Cosentino at the new Lifeline Supa Store in Fernvale. . Picture: Claudia Baxter

AFTER posing as a disaster recovery centre, the former home of the Fernvale IGA has a new long-term resident.

The building in the heart of the town on the Brisbane Valley Hwy has been reborn as a Lifeline Superstore.

After the store opened last month it has already seen a huge amount of support from the Fernvale community through the donation of clothes and collectables.

However, the store isn't solely selling second-hand goods with new products, including furniture, for sale.

It is one of the few local options for Fernvale residents to purchase furniture.

Fernvale Lifeline store supervisor Jacquie Cosentino said the store has tried to offer bigger items as a point of difference.

"Our plan is to serve the community as best we can with good-quality stock," she said.

Ms Cosentino said the people of Fernvale had already been supportive of the new superstore in its first weeks.

"It's been really well supported by the community so far," he said.

"We've had goods donated from all over the place."

With the Fernvale Lifeline only opened in recent weeks the store is on the lookout for more people to help out.

"I'd really like to encourage the community to come and volunteer," Ms Cosentino said.

The store has already seen a number of odd and interesting donations made, including a 48-year-old edition of the now defunct Sunday Truth newspaper published in the Fortitude Valley.

Alongside the browned antique newspaper are a variety of collectables, toys, clothes as well as furniture.

Lifeline Ipswich West Moreton business manager Colin Hannigan said the Fernvale store had been a long-term plan for Lifeline.

"As Fernvale grows we want to be there with it," he said.

"We've had plans to put this superstore in Fernvale since pre the (flood) events of last year.

"This was delayed by the council placing the recovery office in the old IGA building, we stepped back at that stage because that office was the best thing for Fernvale at the time."

The town of Fernvale is one of south-east Queensland's boom towns with the recent construction of a shopping centre including a Woolworths supermarket and the announcement of a huge new housing department to go ahead earlier in the year.

Fernvale is also home to a St Vincent de Paul's that was the victim of an arson attack in December 2010.

The fire gutted the store and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of stock.

Originally published as Old Fernvale IGA given a Lifeline