By Laura Michell
Brimbank’s Vietnames Cultural and Heritage Centre will receive a $2 million upgrade if the Liberals and Nationals win the November 26 state election.
Liberal candidate for Western Metropolitan Region Trung Luu announced the funding pledge last week.
Mr Luu, who is currently on leave from his position as a Brimbank councillor to enable him to contest the state election, said the funding promise was a win for the Brimbank community.
Mr Luu said the centre, on Knight Avenue in Sunshine North, was used by a variety of community groups including the Vietnamese Women’s Committee, the Vietnamese Community Bonsai Club in Victoria, Vietnamese Women’s Dancing Class, Dual Identity Leadership Program, Vietnamese Students Association in Victoria, Bach Viet Martial Arts School, the Vietnamese Veterans Association and an elderly activities group.
The funding is great for the community and will add to the centre’s work,” Mr Luu said.
“Over the years the centre has grown quite a bit.”
Mr Luu said most of the money the committee currently raises going towards the centre’s programs, and that it had fallen behind in paying its council rates as a result.
In September, Brimbank council voted to waive the penalty interest owed to council by the Vietnamese Community in Australia associated under the North Sunshine Industrial Area Scheme between 2009-2019.
The committee owed council $32,336.
“This funding [promise] will give [the committee] the opportunity to not worry too much about the building and instead focus on the programs,” Mr Luu said.
“They can’t fundraise for everything.”
Mr Luu said the Vietnamese Community in Australia was always quick to lend a hand to groups in need, putting together food parcels during COVID which were distributed to the wider Brimbank community and starting a fundraising drive for people in Gippsland following the 2020 bushfires.
“They do so much for the community,” he said.
