The Enterprise Park is a product of the Schools in Partnership 2005-2009.
One of the prime objectives was to implement a philosophy of doing business differently. We sought a means of engaging students prior to school and making their learning significant and meaningful. In the senior years we sought to ensure every student stayed on to achieve their HSC as well as completing a trade training course.
We have achieved one further step of now being able to provide employment beyond school in the areas of business, hospitality, tourism and construction.
How did we achieve it ? We acknowledge that it wouldn’t have occurred if we hadn’t:
- had donations and works in kind from the community. Currently about $350,000 has been raised
- become a regional winner in National Australia Bank’s Schools First program and received $50,000
- received a grant from the Commonwealth Government of $100,000 to build the infrastructure
- had a smaller grant from Bendigo Bank for the Yarn Up Corner.
It is an aim of the enterprise to make it a green project, totally sustainable with renewal power, and to even raise funds by sale of excess energy to the grid.
The Enterprise Park has been developed to benefit students by engaging them from birth (through the 0-5 program) up to employment in a town industry making small one-bedroom transportable homes.
It will employ and it will train. The Park will develop pride in workmanship. It will become a tourist destination. This will only happen only with the continued support of the community.
We have gone beyond and dreamt big things. We know over time that it will make a difference.
Without the Commonwealth Government funding there is only so much that goodwill and scrounging can get you. It took over two years to achieve that funding.
We have been lucky to receive a small amount of money to supplement the grant money.
From 2009 we were ready for business.
Funds from the grants were used:
- To build our railway station a facade has been built around two demountable administration buildings from the old hospital
- To construct a wall to hold back the platform and to provide carriage access by students to renovate the inside of the ‘station’ to provide a radio station studio 2MCS-FM 88.0
- To purchase two rainwater tanks
- To build a ‘yarning’ and campfire area
- To install air-conditioning in both carriages, Annie the dining car and Bruce the sleeper
- To perform minor repairs and adjustments to the diner
- To purchase sleeping carriage from Peterborough Steam Museum.
Donations were received for:
- Earthworks to build the platform and around the ‘station buildings’, by State Water
- Track preparation by Central Darling Shire Council
- Connection of the electricity to park by Country Energy
- Connection of water to the park by Country Water
- Landscaping the area and planting area with natives and bush tucker plants
- Purchasing the carriage Annie
- Levelling of the block by Central Darling Shire Council
- Laying foundations for the demountable buildings by construction students at MCS
- Positioning demountables on site by Coombe’s Transport
- Provision of the radio aerial and move to site.