newy.com.au – A $7.76 million disability centre has officially opened at Beresfield, delivering new therapy, early diagnosis and training facilities for people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities across the Hunter.
The centre has been developed by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance with support from the NSW Government, which contributed $3.38 million through its Regional Development Trust. The alliance contributed a further $4.38 million to the project.
A former industrial warehouse has been converted into a customised accessible centre, with multi-disciplinary therapy rooms, flexible spaces for group programs and an early diagnosis clinic. It is designed to support babies, children and adults with disability, as well as their families, by improving access to evidence-based therapies, new technologies and tailored programs closer to home.
The Beresfield facility also includes a dedicated training space expected to support more than 300 disability sector workers in the Hunter.
The Cerebral Palsy Alliance has worked with people with disability in NSW for 80 years and has had a presence in the Hunter for more than four decades, providing accommodation and services across the region.
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the centre represented a significant investment in local disability services.
“This is a major investment in the Hunter and, most importantly, in the lives of people with disability and the families who love and support them.
“For more than four decades, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance has stood alongside Hunter families, and this centre means they can reach more people, with better facilities.”
Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said the new centre would allow the organisation to expand its work in the region.
“I’m grateful to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance for expanding its services here in the Hunter. The NSW Government is proud to partner with this impressive organisation on this important, life-changing project.
“The Cerebral Palsy Alliance is a highly respected organisation that’s been innovating and improving lives for 80 years. This state-of-the-art facility means they can keep doing what they do best, providing quality therapies to Hunter babies, children and adults with disability.”
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the project was the kind of regional investment the government wanted to support, improving essential services and strengthening communities.
Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said more local families and people with cerebral palsy would benefit from the partnership, while Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said the centre would make a real difference for people with disability and their families across Maitland and the wider Hunter.
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said the training facilities would also help support the region’s growing disability services workforce.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance chief executive Rob White said the Beresfield centre was an important step in expanding services across areas of need in NSW.
“CPA has proudly supported the Hunter community for over 42 years, and this new centre in Beresfield marks an important step in expanding services across high-need areas of NSW.
“This development strengthens support for families, improves access to services, and reflects our ongoing investment in innovative therapy and community support for the future.”
More than $220 million from the NSW Government’s Regional Development Trust Fund is being delivered through projects and programs aimed at supporting regional and rural industries, businesses and communities.
