Tuesday, 24 May 2022

Glenroy Community Hub

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (12:53): Breaking the cycle of disadvantage requires creative solutions, collaboration and constancy of purpose. Hundreds of families celebrated the opening of the latest version of the global learning village model, the $30 million Glenroy Community Hub. A decade-long process delivered a new public library, providing access to lifelong learning and incorporating a maternal and child health centre to maximise inclusion. There are now five landmark global learning centres to improve the social determinants of life, spanning the old and redrawn state district of Broadmeadows. I thank Moreland City Council for its investment of $18 million in community funds in the new Glenroy hub, and I thank the former Labor mayor for acting on my advice to secure Victorian government funding to seal this deal, including a loan of about $10 million at almost no interest rate—outstanding value for investment.

Twenty-three years ago I provided the vision plan and attracted the funding partners to establish the global learning village as a hub-and-spoke model, founded in Broadmeadows when it was still impoverished to the point of lacking even a public library. Securing Silicon Valley giants, it bridged the digital divide with an ideas lab—second in the world to London—to drive technology, empowered leadership and created a multiversity, providing online tertiary education ahead of its time. Hume City Council backed this vision for lifelong learning for skills and jobs, meaning better health and wellness and connecting the disconnected to opportunity. This was vital with the Visy Cares Learning Centre in Meadow Heights. We also have the Field of Dreams being built as the sporting model to connect the disconnected to better opportunities in life.