$7 million one for the books

A $7 million-plus development at PB Ronald Reserve will deliver a new hall and library.
The old Pakenham Hall, built in 1959, will make way for the new building.
The project will involve the construction of a new library that will adjoin a multipurpose community hall to contain five meeting rooms, a stage and function area and large community kitchen at the reserve on the corner of John and Henry streets in Pakenham.
Cardinia Shire Council last week welcomed a Federal Government grant of $2.5 million for the redevelopment of the Pakenham Library and Hall.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson said he was looking forward to the project getting underway.
“This funding is a great help to the council,” he said.
“It is a great contribution to what will be a fantastic project for the Pakenham community that will have benefits across Cardinia Shire.”
When making last week’s funding announcement, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, highlighted Pakenham’s population growth as a contributing factor for the cash boost.
“Pakenham had a population of just over 7100 residents in 1991, when the original library was built,” he said.
“Under the Victorian Government’s Melbourne 2030 plan the Pakenham community is expected to grow to more than seven times that number – over 51,000 by 2031.”