New Byron community hub opens in former hospital site with education, health, and legal services tenants already signed on

The site of a former hospital in a NSW tourist town – purchased for just $1 – has been repurposed to house a number of businesses targeted at improving the welfare of the local community.

The repurposed former Byron Bay District Hospital, Yarning Circle facing Shirley Street, at the newly named Byron CoLab on Arakwal Country.

The site of a former hospital in a NSW tourist town – purchased for just $1 – has been repurposed to house a number of businesses targeted at improving the welfare of the local community.

After closing in 2016, the former Byron Bay District Hospital site redevelopment is now complete, with Social Futures being handed the keys to the renamed Byron CoLab on the Arakwal Country site on Shirley St.

NSW Health decommissions the old Byron hospital site in 2016 when the new hospital was built at 54 Ewingsdale Road.

The local community helped re-imagine the site as a new community space to increase access to essential community services including education, arts and culture, health services, crisis response, and other welfare services.

Byron Shire Council forked out an additional $650,000 to build the $6.5 million project which began construction in August last year.

The site was purchased in 2019 from NSW Health for $1.

The project is managed by Social Futures, supported by a Community Advisory Group and a Tenant Site Management Committee.

Wordsworth Street main entrance and cafe terrace, Byron CoLab.

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies said dedicated local community members had “poured their heart and soul” into the project.

“We are excited to see it come to fruition and for all that its future holds in helping to build an ever stronger and more vibrant Byron Bay,” he said.

CEO Social Futures Tony Davies, left, and Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye.

Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said the site was lobbied hard not to be sold for commercial profit.

“When the Byron Central Hospital opened at Ewingsdale the community was insistent that the old hospital site continue to be used for the health and wellbeing of local people,” she said.

Tenants already setting up in the new complex include Baloneys Deli (cafe fit out is well underway), Northern Rivers Community Foundation, Barefoot law, Byron Community College, Arakwal Corporation, The Family Centre, Dani Quayle (music industry advocate), Animal Emergency Australia, The Advocate for Children and Young People, and Social Futures.

Tamara Smith MP Member for Ballina, left, Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, Hon Justine Elliot MP Member for Richmond, The Hon Ben Franklin, MLC, President of the Legislative Council, Parliament of NSW, and Social Futures CEO Tony Davies.

Centre Manager, Mikaela Hicks said it was “tremendously exciting” to welcome the first tenants into the centre.

“We are thrilled to share that 35 per cent of the combined Community and Commercial area floor plan has already been leased, with a further 20 per cent under interest,” she said.

The Byron Community College will also be holding short courses on first aid and CPR, computer basics and tech savvy seniors, Spanish, French and Italian languages, death defying law, watercolour in black and white, and sewing for beginners.

Visitor reception at the main entrance on Wordsworth Street is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

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