Welcome To CHIRF
Mallacoota’s Community Health Infrastructure and Resilience Fund Incorporated is a health promotion charity supporting medical and allied services for the Mallacoota community and rural and remote regions Australia-wide. Created in 2016 to provide support across a wide range of activities in the Mallacoota community, CHIRF is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
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Current Project
Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre
Mallacoota’s Community Health, Infrastructure Resilience Fund Inc. (CHIRF) has embarked on a journey towards realising one of the Mallacoota communities’ long-term priorities – building a community owned Wellbeing and Recreation Centre.
CHIRF in collaboration with Mallacoota Inlet Aged Care (MIAC) and the Mallacoota community have already raised over $2M towards this project providing a major part of the capital required, although significant funding shortfalls remain. Existing funding enables us to build the new Wellbeing and Recreation Centre, a modern, safe and inclusive facility that will support the Mallacoota District to live well. The Centre will sit on land already owned by the community, and will be located alongside the Mallacoota Medical Centre, providing a central hub for health and wellbeing. For decades, our community has been fundraising for a community pool, this Centre now presents a unique and once-off opportunity to see this become a reality. The Centre is designed to include an Aqua Therapy Pool, providing a safe and accessible space for strength, mobility, injury prevention, recovery and confidence-building, however funding for this critical component remains outside the current funding agreements.
Along with funding for the pool other improvements requiring additional funds include:
• all abilities carparking
• audio-visual equipment to improve access to training, classes and recreational opportunities
• solar and battery system to improve sustainability
• and minor internal upgrades
We are seeking partnerships with organisations and individuals who share our commitment to providing services for rural and remote communities and fostering lifelong habits of health and wellbeing.
Together, we can create a legacy of strength, inclusion and opportunity for generations of Mallacoota to come.
Thank you for supporting this vision and for believing in the power of community.
Please donate and share — your support truly makes a difference.
Use the above DONATE NOW button to make a donation via our Go Fund Me page and receive an automatic receipt. Alternatively you can donate via a Direct Deposit using the details below
Account Name: Wellness Centre Fundraising
Account number: 633000
BSB: 165456534
Funding announcement
Play Our Way Grant Announcement
Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre
This activity received grant funding from the Australian Government.
Mallacoota’s Community Health Infrastructure and Resilience Fund (CHIRF) is thrilled to announce that its application to the Australian Government’s $200 million Play Our Way program has been successful.
The Play Our Way program funds local initiatives and ideas to overcome barriers that women and girls face in participating in sport.
Funded activities will:
- provide safe, inclusive, quality and sustainable facilities, equipment and initiatives
- help women and girls to stay involved in sport and physical activity for life.
The program funds activities under 2 streams:
Stream 1: Facilities to support new and upgraded facilities, playing areas, and spaces for sport and physical activity, specifically for women and girls.
Stream 2: Participation and equipment – to support sustainable and enduring sport participation programs and/or new or upgraded equipment, specifically for women and girls.
CHIRF’s project has been successful under the Facilities Stream.
About the Initiative
The grant will be used to deliver the Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre, a new, community-owned health, sport and wellbeing facility delivered by CHIRF in conjunction with Mallacoota Inlet Aged Care (MIAC), who own the land on which the Centre will be built.
The Centre will ensure women and girls in Mallacoota, Genoa and Gipsy Point can easily access and enjoy being active and healthy, regardless of age or life stage. Mallacoota’s rural and remote location, combined with a lack of purpose-built facilities, has historically limited opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity. This project directly addresses those barriers and ensures that postcode does not limit access to safe, inclusive facilities.
While designed as an inclusive space for the whole community, special consideration has been given to ensuring women and girls feel welcome, safe and confident using the facility.
The Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre will include:
A community gym with inclusive equipment suitable for all ages and abilities
Group programs including Reformer Pilates, Strength and Balance and Cardio Rehabilitation
A gymnastics and judo facility, enabling the re-establishment of gymnastics and improved judo participation
Flexible space for dance, yoga, Tai Chi and online classes, supporting participation despite geographic isolation
Allied health consulting rooms
Provisions for an indoor Aqua Therapy pool
Safety-focused design features including secure after-hours access and 24-hour surveillance
Next Steps
Work on the Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2026. The project will contribute to a growing health and wellbeing precinct located alongside the Mallacoota Medical Centre, supporting long-term community health, resilience and participation in physical activity.
Successful projects across both streams of Play Our Way will maximise opportunities for women and girls to access, participate in and remain involved in sport and physical activity, and this project represents a significant investment in those outcomes for Far East Gippsland.
Further Information
Further information about the Play Our Way program is available at:
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/play-our-way-program
For more information about the Mallacoota Wellbeing and Recreation Centre, please contact:
manager@mallacootacares.com.au
